^W  OF  P8/*g^ 
NOV 


SeCtion.vJ^l.i)  75 
No )L'J7' 


trbe  fUbCBsaQcs  of  tbe  Bible 

EDITED    BY 

Professor  Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D.,  of  Yale  University,  and 
Professor  Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  of  Brown  University. 
This  series  \s  not  a  substitute  for  the  Bible,  but  an  aid  to  the  reverent, 
appreciative,  and  enthusiastic  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  in  fact  it  will  serve 
the  purpose  of  an 

ORIGINAL  AND  POPULAR  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

The  books  of  the  Bible  are  grouped  according  to  a  natural  classification, 
their  contents  arranged  in  the  order  of  appearance  and  a  scholarly  yet 
popular  paraphrase  of  their  distinctive  thought  given  in  plain  and  expressive 
English.  The  purpose  of  the  series  is  to  enable  any  reader  of  the  Bible  to 
understand  its  meaning  as  a  reverent  scholar  of  to-day  does,  and  in  particular 
to  receive  the  exact  impression  which  the  words  as  originally  heard  or  read 
must  have  made  upon  those  for  whom  they  were  delivered. 

Technicalities  and  unsettled  questions  will  be,  as  far  as  possible,  ignored. 
Each  volume  will  be  prepared  by  a  leading  specialist  and  will  contain  such 
brief  introductions  as  serve  to  put  the  reader  Into  intelligent  relation  to  the 
general  theme  treated.  The  editorial  rearrangement  of  the  order  of  the 
Biblical  books  or  sections  will  represent  the  definite  results  of  sober  scholar- 
•hip. 

I.  Ube  Aessages  of  tbe  Sarlier  prophets. 

II.  Ube  Obcssagee  of  tbe  Xater  propbets. 

III.  Ube  fUessages  of  tbe  Xaw  (Btvcrs. 

IV.  Ube  ilDessages  of  tbe  propbetfcal  ant)  priestly  1){6torbmt* 
V.  Ube  /Messages  of  tbe  pgalmists. 

VI.  Ube  tteseagcs  of  tbe  Sages. 
VII.  Ube  flDeasages  of  tbe  Sramatfc  poeta. 
VIII.  Ube  Messages  of  tbe  Bpocal^sptfc  TKflrfter*. 
IX.  Ube  fl>eBsage0  of  ^esus  accorbing  to  tbe  S^noptiftt* 
X.  Ube  Aessagee  of  5esu0  accorMng  to  3obn. 
XI.  Ube  Messages  of  paul. 
XII-  Ube  Aeseages  of  tbe  Bpostles. 


Zhc  CSieemQCB  of  tbe  Bible 


EDITED   BY 

Professor  Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D. 

of  Yale  University 
AND 

Professor  Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D. 

of  Brown  University 


VOLUME    XII 


THE   MESSAGES   OF   THE   APOSTLES 


Ube  fl^essages  ot  tbe  JBible 

THE   MESSAGES  OF  THE 
APOSTLES 


THE  APOSTOLIC  DISCOURSES  IN  THE  BOOK 
OF  ACTS  AND  THE  GENERAL  AND  PASTO- 
RAL EPISTLES  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  AR- 
RANGED IN  CHRONOLOGICAL  ORDER,  ANA- 
LYZED, AND  FREELY  RENDERED  IN  PARAPHRASE 


BY 

George  Barker  Stevens,  Ph.D.,  D.D. 

Dwight  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology  in  Yale  University 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1900 


Copyright,  1900, 

by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


PREFACE 

The  present  volume  includes  the  apostolic  discourses 
contained  in  the  earlier  chapters  of  Acts  and  the  Epistles 
of  James,  First  Peter,  Jude,  Second  Peter,  First  Timothy, 
Titus,  Second  Timothy,  Hebrews,  First,  Second,  and 
Third  John,  in  the  order  named.  The  dates  of  many  of 
these  books  are  uncertain,  and  no  order  can  claim  to  be 
more  than  approximately  chronological.  In  general,  how- 
ever, the  sermons  from  Acts,  the  Epistle  of  James,  and  the 
First  Epistle  of  Peter  may  be  said  to  represent  the  earlier 
forms  and  stages  of  Christian  teaching,  while  Epistles  like 
Hebrews  and  First  John  belong  to  its  later  period.  The 
Epistles  to  Timothy  and  Titus  are  included  in  this  volume, 
partly  because  so  many  scholars  doubt  their  Pauline  au- 
thorship in  their  present  form  and,  especially,  because  in 
any  case  they  reflect  the  work  of  Timothy  and  Titus  in 
ecclesiastical  administration  more  than  the  theology  of 
the  apostle.  The  first  ten  Epistles  of  Paul,  reproduced 
in  •*  The  Messages  of  Paul,"  present  to  us  the  apostle's 
doctrinal  system.  The  Pastorals,  whatever  view  be  taken 
of  their  authorship,  have  little  bearing  upon  that  system, 
but  deal  with  relations  and  conditions  which  more  ap- 
propriately place  them  in  the  later  group  of  New  Testa- 
ment writings. 

The  same  method  of  treatment  has  been  adopted  as  in 
"The  Messages  of  Paul."    The  general  facts  which  one 


Preface 

should  know  in  order  to  appreciate  the  writings  comprised 
in  the  volume  are  stated  in  the  Introduction.  This  is 
followed  by  an  account  of  the  conditions  and  problems  of 
the  early  church  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  throw  light  upon 
the  messages  of  the  apostles,  especially  upon  the  apostoli'- 
discourses.  Then,  to  each  of  the  Epistles  is  prefixed  a 
brief  special  introduction  explaining  the  nature  and  aim  of 
the  book,  with  comments  on  the  critical  questions  which 
it  suggests.  Those  who  wish  to  read  more  extensively 
on  these  questions  are  referred  to  the  list  of  books  of 
reference  given  in  the  Appendix. 

George  Barker  Stevens. 


VI 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 

PAGE 

I.  The  Jerusalem  Church 3 

II.  The  Leading  Characteristics  of  Jewish   Chris- 
tianity      9 

III.  The    Earliest   Conflicts   of  Christianity  with 
Heathenism 15 

IV.  The    Anonymous    and    Disputed    Books    of    the 
New  Testament 21 

THE   RECORDED    SERMONS   OF    THE   APOSTLES 

I.  The   Problems  with  which  the  Early  Apostles 
had  to  Deal 29 

II.  The  General  Characteristics  of  their  Sermons    35 

III.  Peter's  Early  Discourses. 

1.  The  Address  Concerning  the  Choice  of  an  Apostle 
(Acts  I  :  16-22) 42 

2.  The  Address  at  Pentecost  (Acts  2  :  14-39)    •     •     •     •     43 

3.  The  Address  in  the  Temple-porch  after  the  Healing 

of  the  Lame  Man  (Acts  3  :  12-26) 45 

4.  The  Address  before  the  Priests  and  Rulers  (Acts 
4:8-12) 47 

5.  The  Answer    to  the    Threats    of   the   High-priest 
(Acts  5  :  29-32) 48 

vii 


Contents 

PAGE 

IV.  The  Address  of  the  Almoner   Stephen  (Acts 

7:2-53) 49 

V.  Peter's  Address  to   Cornelius   (Acts  10 :  35-43)    53 

VI.  Peter's    Defence   before  the    Judaizers  (Acts 

II  :  5-17) 55 

VII.  The  Address  of  Peter  at  the  Apostolic  Coun- 
cil (Acts  15  :  7-11) 56 

VIII.  The  Address  of  James  at  the  Apostolic  Coun- 
cil (Acts  15  :  13-21) 57 


THE   EPISTLE    OF  JAMES 

I.  The    Characteristics    and    Contents    of   the 
Epistle 61 

II.  The  Authorship,  Date,  and  Destination  of  the 
Epistle 63 

III.  The   Teaching   of  James"  and  Paul  Regarding 
Justification 6j 

IV.  The  Message  of  James. 

1.  Encouragement  to  Christian  Fidelity  (i  :  i-ii)       .  68 

2.  The  Real  Source  of  Temptation  to  Evil  (i  :  12-18)  69 

3.  The  Doing  of  the  Word  (i :  19-27) 70 

4.  A  Warning  against  Partiality  in  the  Treatment  of 
the  Rich  (2  :  1-13) 71 

5.  A  Living  and  a  Dead  Faith  Contrasted  (2: 14-26).  72 

6.  The  Control  of  the  Tongue  (3  : 1-12) 74 

7.  True  Christian  Wisdom  (3  :  13-18) 75 

8.  The  Folly  of  Friendship  with  the  World  (4  :  i-io)  .  75 

9.  Warnings  against  Evil  Speaking  and  Presumption 
(4:11-17) 76 

10.  A  Warning  to  the  Rich  (5  :  1-6) ^^ 

11.  An  Exhortation  to  Patience  and  Faith  (5  :  7-20)     .     77 

viii 


Contents 


THE   FIRST   EPISTLE  OF  PETER 

PACK 

I.  The  Contents  and  General  Character  of  the 

Epistle 8i 

II.  The  Persons  Addressed 83 

III.  The  Authorship  and  Date  of  the  Epistle  .    .  84 

IV.  The  First  Message  of  Peter. 

1.  The  Apostle's  Greeting  (i  :  I,  2) 88 

2.  The  Great  Salvation  (i  :  3-12) 89 

3.  The  Holy  Life  Required  of  the  Christian  (i :  13-25)  90 

4.  Christian  Duties  and  Virtues  (2  : 1-17)     ....  91 

5.  The   Blessedness  of  Suffering  for  Christ's   Sake 
(2:18-25) 93 

6.  Reciprocal  Duties  of  Wives  and  Husbands  {3  : 1-7)  93 

7.  Encouragements  in  Well-doing  (3 :  8-22)       ...  94 

8.  Christian  Courage  and  Hope  (4  :  i-ii)     ....  96 

9.  Sharing  in  Christ's  Sufferings  (4 :  12-19)  •     •     •     •  97 

10.  The  Duties  of  Elders,  and  of  other  Members,  in 
the  Church  (5  :  i-ii) 98 

11.  Concluding  Salutations  (5  :  12-14) 99 


THE   EPISTLE   OF  JUDE 

I.  The  Aim  and  Peculiarities  of  the  Epistle  .    .  103 

II.  The  Author  and  Date  of  the  Epistle      ...  104 

in.  The  Author's  Use  of  Other  Books 107 

IV.  The  Message  of  Jude— A  Letter   of  Warning 
against  False  Teachers      . 109 

ix 


Contents 


THE   SECOND   EPISTLE   OF   PETER 

PAGE 

I.  The  Aim  and  Contents  of  the  Epistle     .     .     .115 
II.  Its  Relation  to  Jude 116 

III.  Its  Author,  Date,  and  Readers 118 

IV,  The  Second  Message  of  Peter. 

1.  The  Culture  of  the  Christian  Virtues  (i  :  i-ii)  .     .  120 

2.  The  Sure  Foundation  of  Christian  Faith  (i :  12-21)  121 

3.  Warnings  against  False  Teachers  (2) 122 

4.  The  Terrors  of  the  Coming  Judgment  (3 :  1-13)     .  124 

5.  An  Exhortation  to  Fidelity  (3  :  14-18) 125 

THE   FIRST  EPISTLE  TO  TIMOTHY 

I.  The    General    Character    of    the    Pastoral 
Epistles 129 

n.  The  Historical  Situation  Presupposed  in  the 
Pastorals 132 

III.  The  Authorship  and  Date  of  the  Epistle  .    .  133 

IV.  The  Life  and  Character  of  Timothy    ....  136 
V.  The  First  Message  to  Timothy. 

1.  A  Charge  to  Keep  the  Gospel  Pure  (i)    .     .     .    .  138 

2.  Directions  Concerning  the  Worship  of  the  Church 

(2) 140 

3.  The  Qualifications  and  Duties  of  Church  Officers 

(3) 141 

4.  Errors  to  be  Avoided  and  Rebuked  (4)     .     .     .     .   142 

5.  Rules  for  the  Administration  of  the  Church  (5)      .  144 

6.  The  Application  of  Christian  Principles  to  Practi- 
cal Problems  (6) 146 

X 


Contents 

THE  EPISTLE  TO    TITUS 

PAGE 

I.  Titus  and  his  Mission  in  Crete 151 

II.  The  Peculiarities  of  the  Epistle 153 

III.  Authorship  and  Date 155 

IV.  The  Message  to  Titus. 

1.  The  Regulation  of  the  Churches  and  the  Main- 
tenance of  a  Pure  Gospel  (i) 156 

2.  The  Obligation  of  the  Christian  Believer  (2)    .     .  157 

3.  Practical  Duties  ;   Farewell  Greetings  (3)    .     .     .  159 

THE  SECOND   EPISTLE  TO  TIMOTHY 

I.  The  Question   of  a   Second   Imprisonment   of 
Paul 163 

II.  The  Apostle's  Farewell. 

III.  The  Second  Message  to  Timothy. 

1.  Encouragements  in  Sufferings  (i) 169 

2.  The  Soldierly  Quality  of  the  Christian  Life  (2  :  i- 

13) 170 

3.  The  Christian's  Safeguards  against  False  Doctrine 
and  Life  (2  :  14  to  3  :  17) 172 

4.  The  Apostle's  Solemn  Final  Charge  (4  :  1-8)     .     .  174 

5.  Concluding  Requests  and  Greetings  (4  :  9-22)  .     .  175 

THE   EPISTLE  TO   THE   HEBREWS 
I.  The  Course  of  Thought  in  the  Epistle  .    .    .179 
II.  The  Purpose  of  the  Epistle 183 

III.  To  Whom  was  the  Epistle  Addressed?     .     .    .185 

IV.  The  Problems  of  Authorship  and  Date    .     .    .  189 
V.  The  Message  to  the  Hebrews. 

1.  Christ's  Superiority  to  the  Angels  (i,  2)  .     .     .     .  193 

2.  Christ's  Superiority  to  Moses  (3  :  i  to  4 :  16)      .     .  196 

xi 


Contents 

PAGE 

3.  His  Qualifications  for  the  Priestly  Office  (5  :  i-io)  200 

4.  Christ  a  Priest  of  a  Higher  Order  than  the  Aaronic 
Priests  (5  :  10  to  7  :  28) 201 

5.  Christ  the   Minister  and  Exponent  of  the  New 
Spiritual  Covenant  (8  :  i  to  10  :  18) 205 

6.  The  Perils  of  Apostasy  (10:  19-39) 210 

7.  The  Triumphs  of  Faith  (11) 212 

8.  Concluding  Instructions  and  Exhortations  (12,  13)  216 


THE   FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 

I.  The  Relation  of  this  Epistle  to  the  Fourth 
Gospel 225 

II.  General  Character   and   Destination  of  the 
Epistle 226 

III.  The  Purpose  of  the  Epistle 227 

IV.  The  First  Message  of  John. 

1.  The  Messenger  of  Life  (i :  1-4) 229 

2.  The  Message  of  Life  (i  :  5-10) 229 

3.  The  Gospel  Rule  of  Life  (2:1-11) 230 

4.  An  Appeal  to  Young  and  Old  to  Seek  the  Higher 
Divine  Life  (2  :  12-17) 231 

5.  A  Warning  against  the  Denial  of  Christ  (2  :  18-29)  232 

6.  The    Nature    and    Goal    of   the   Christlike   Life 
(3:1-12) 233 

7.  Love   the    Crowning   Characteristic  of  this    Life 

(3  :  13-24) 234 

8.  The  Anti-christian  Spirit  (4  :  1-6) 236 

9.  The  Supremacy  of  Love  (4:  7-21) 236 

10.  Jesus  Christ  the  Way  to  God  (5 :  1-12)     ....  238 

11.  The  Christian's  Firm  Assurance  (5  :  13-21)    .     .     .  239 

xii 


Contents 

THE   SECOND   EPISTLE   OF  JOHN 

PAGE 

I.  The  Authorship  of  the  Letter 243 

II.  The  Person  Addressed .  244 

III.  The  Purpose  of  the  Letter 245 

IV.  The  Second  Message  of  John. 

1.  Salutation  (1-3) 246 

2.  The  True  and  False  Way  (4-11) 246 

3.  Concluding  Greeting  (12,  13) 247 

THE  THIRD   EPISTLE   OF  JOHN 

I.  The  Occasion  and  Purpose  of  the  Letter  .     .  251 

II.  The  Interest  and  Value  of  the  Minor  Epistles 
OF  John 252 

III.  The  Third  Message  of  John. 

1.  Salutation  (1-4) 253 

2.  Counsels  and  Warnings  (S-12) 253 

3.  Concluding  Greeting  (13,  14) 254 

APPENDIX 
Books  of  Reference 257 


xm 


INTRODUCTION 


INTRODUCTION 


THE    JERUSALEM    CHURCH 


The  earliest  manual  of  church  history,  the  Book  of 
Acts,  opens  with  a  picture  of  the  first  congregation  of 
believers  at  Jerusalem.  Their  place  of  meeting  was  an 
upper  room  and  their  number  may  be  approximately  esti- 
mated from  the  fact  that  when  Matthias  was  appointed  an 
apostle  to  take  the  place  of  Judas,  the  number  present  was 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  (Acts  1:15). 

At  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  a  few  days  after  Jesus'  de- 
parture, occurred  a  signal  realization  of  the  promise  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  confirmation  of  the  faith  of  the  disciples,  and 
in  the  increase  of  their  number.  In  his  sermon  on  this 
occasion  Peter  convincingly  maintained  the  Messiahship 
of  Jesus.  He  asserted  that  the  facts  of  his  resurrection 
and  ascension  were  in  fulfilment  of  Old  Testament  pre- 
dictions, and  that  it  was  the  immediate  duty  of  the  Jewish 
people  to  repent  of  their  sins  and  to  believe  on  Jesus  as 
their  promised  Saviour.  About  three  thousand  souls  of 
many  nationalities  received  the  word  and  were  added  to 

3 


Introduction  The  Messages 

the  church  (Acts  2  :  41).  The  occasion  inaugurated  a 
new  epoch  in  the  life  of  the  community,  not  only  because 
it  gave  new  courage  and  hope  to  the  first  disciples,  but 
also  because  the  conversion  of  so  large  a  number  of  per- 
sons residing  outside  Palestine  was  a  promise  of  the  ex- 
tension of  the  gospel  to  the  whole  world  for  which  it  was 
destined. 

There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  primitive  church 
at  Jerusalem  had  any  formal  organization.  Its  life  was 
extremely  simple.  The  apostles  were,  of  course,  its  nat- 
ural leaders,  and  Peter  is  represented  as  the  spokesman  of 
the  assembly.  At  first  the  little  company,  many  of  whom 
were  not  residents  of  the  city,  seem  to  have  dwelt  together 
(Acts  I  :  13),  but  that  arrangement  must  very  soon  have 
become  impracticable  on  account  of  the  growth  of  the 
community.  They  frequently  met  together  for  "the 
breaking  of  bread  "  (Acts  1:14;  2 :  42,  46),  that  is,  for  the 
celebration  of  the  Lord's  supper  in  the  form  of  a  common 
meal.  When  their  number  became  large  they  probably 
met  in  groups  in  private  dwellings,  thus  forming  the 
churches  or  assemblies  in  houses,  to  which  Paul  refers  as 
existing  elsewhere  (i  Cor.  16  :  19;  Rom.  16  :  5 ;  Col.  4:15). 

These  early  Christians  regarded  whatever  property  they 
possessed  as  a  means  whereby  they  might  serve  their  fel- 
low-believers. "  Not  one  of  them  said  that  aught  of  the 
things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own ;  but  they  had  all 
things  common  "  (Acts  4  :  32).  From  such  expressions 
4 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

as  this,  taken  by  themselves,  it  would  appear  that  the  be- 
lievers  relinquished  their  private  property  entirely  and  con- 
tributed it  to  a  common  fund ;  but  from  other  indications 
it  seems  unlikely  that  the  community  of  goods  was  carried 
thus  far.  Ananias  might  have  retained  the  full  price  of 
his  possessions  without  offence  (Acts  5  :  4).  Mary,  the 
mother  of  Mark,  retained  her  own  house  in  Jerusalem 
(Acts  12  :  12).  Moreover,  we  hear  nothing  of  a  com- 
munity of  goods  in  the  New  Testament  outside  of  the 
early  chapters  of  Acts.  The  probability  therefore  is  that 
each  held  his  property  at  the  service  of  his  brethren,  con- 
tributing it  from  generosity  and  love  to  their  relief  in  the 
degree  in  which  the  circumstances  seemed  to  him  to  re- 
quire. Special  mention  is  made  of  the  beneficence  of 
Barnabas,  who  sold  a  field  and  contributed  the  entire  sum 
received  to  the  common  fund  (Acts  4  :  36,  37). 

It  is  in  connection  with  these  efforts  to  relieve  the 
needy  that  we  find  the  beginnings  of  church  organization. 
The  Greek-speaking  Jews  in  the  community  complained 
that  '•  their  widows  were  neglected  in  the  daily  ministra- 
tion" (Acts  6  :  i).  Whether  this  neglect  was  intentional 
or  not  we  do  not  know.  In  any  case  the  time  had  come 
for  an  official  administration  of  the  alms  of  the  church. 
The  apostles  had  in  hand  the  arduous  work  of  preaching, 
and  of  teaching  the  growing  community,  and  could  not 
•'  forsake  the  word  of  God  and  serve  tables"  (Acts  6  :  2). 
Accordingly,  a  committee  of  seven  almoners  was  ap- 

5 


Introduction  The  Messages 


pointed  to  attend  to  the  work  of  distributing  alms.  It  is 
noticeable  that  the  Greek  names  of  most  of  these  men 
show  them  to  have  been  chosen  chiefly  from  the  ranks  of 
the  Hellenists,  who  had  made  the  complaint.  This  com- 
mittee, whose  origin  was  due  to  a  practical  necessity,  was, 
no  doubt,  the  germ  of  the  later  office  of  deacon. 

The  difficulties  by  which  the  Jerusalem  church  was  sur- 
rounded were  very  great.  The  religious  leaders  and  the 
more  influential  classes  were  opposed  to  the  new  "  sect," 
and  their  hostility  was  sure  to  increase  with  its  growth 
and  success.  The  new  doctrine  was  gaining  ground 
with  the  people,  and  from  the  beginning  it  was  true,  as 
afterward,  that  there  was  "  no  small  stir  concerning  the 
Way  "  (Acts  19  :  23),  as  Christian  belief  and  practice  soon 
came  to  be  called.  The  Christians  were  chiefly  from  the 
humbler  classes.  What  were  they  to  face  the  learning, 
the  influence,  and  the  social  prestige  of  the  ruling  classes 
in  the  nation?  All  the  power  of  tradition,  of  rabbinic 
learning,  of  political  advantage,  was  arrayed  against 
them.  Their  hero  was  regarded  as  a  malefactor  who  had 
met  his  just  fate  upon  the  ignominious  cross.  Their 
claim  that  he  was  the  Messiah  was  contrary  to  the 
accepted  interpretation  of  the  Old  Testament  and  abhor- 
rent to  every  instinct  of  Jewish  pride  and  every  aspiration 
of  Jewish  hope.  Amid  these  conditions  the  early  Chris- 
tians in  their  poverty  and  weakness  braved  the  contempt 
and  persecution  of  their  countrymen,  met  them  on  the 
6 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

field  of  Old  Testament  interpretation  and  history,  and 
challenged  them  to  deny  the  central  fact  on  which  they 
based  their  whole  contention,  that  Jesus  had  been  proven 
to  be  the  Son  of  God  by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead. 
With  living  conviction  and  confident  hope  the  Christian 
community  faced  the  issue,  matching  against  the  author- 
ity, influence,  and  number  of  their  antagonists  simply  the 
power  of  truth  and  fact. 

Despite  formidable  opposition  the  infant  church  con- 
tinued to  grow.  The  Jewish  leaders  could  neither  refute 
the  arguments  nor  deny  the  miracles  of  the  apostles. 
The  threats  of  the  priests  could  not  intimidate  them  (Acts 
4  :  17  ff.).  With  confidence  the  believers  committed  them- 
selves to  the  care  of  God  and  prayed  for  courage  to  speak 
the  truth  with  all  boldness  (Acts  4  :  24-30).  As  time  went 
on  and  the  hostility  of  the  scribes,  rulers,  and  priests 
increased  in  bitterness,  the  church  found  a  double  pro- 
tection, first  in  the  favor  of  the  common  people  (Acts 
4:21;  5:13),  and,  second,  in  the  refusal  of  the  Roman 
authorities  to  sanction  the  cruel  attacks  planned  by  the 
Jewish  leaders  (Acts  19:35-41;  22:22-29),  Even 
among  the  Jews  themselves  there  were  more  reasonable 
men,  such  as  Gamaliel,  who  counselled  moderation  in  the 
treatment  of  the  Christians,  in  the  conviction,  no  doubt, 
that  the  cause  which  they  represented  would  die  of  itself, 
if  left  alone  (Acts  5  :  34-42). 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  Jerusalem  church  was 

7 


Introduction  The  Messages 

distinctly  Jewish.  Its  members  were  Jews  by  birth  and 
training.  They  shared,  in  great  measure,  the  limitations 
of  view  which  were  common  to  their  people.  It  therefore 
becomes  an  interesting  question  whether  they  contem- 
plated the  extension  of  the  gospel  beyond  Judaism.  That 
there  are  traces  of  this  larger  view  in  the  church  of  the 
first  days  cannot  reasonably  be  doubted.  Peter  says  that 
the  promise  is  to  "  those  that  are  afar  off,"  as  well  as  to 
those  that  are  nigh,  that  is,  to  the  Gentiles,  as  well  as  to 
the  Jews  (Acts  2  :  39).  He  sees  in  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  upon  men  "  from  every  nation  under  heaven " 
(Acts  2  :  5)  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophet's  words  that 
"  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
saved"  (Acts  2  :2i).  He  knows  that  it  was  the  divine 
purpose  to  bless  "  all  the  families  of  the  earth  "  through 
the  Jewish  nation  (Acts  3:25).  These  indications  of  a 
consciousness  that  the  gospel  was  for  all  men  are  con- 
firmed by  the  conversion,  under  the  labors  of  the  primi- 
tive apostles,  of  the  Ethiopian  chamberlain  (Acts  8  :  26 
ff.),  of  Cornelius  (Acts  10:1  ff.),  and  of  many  other  Gen- 
tiles (Acts  10 -45),  and  by  the  explicit  assertion  of  Paul 
that  the  primitive  apostles  approved  his  mission  to  the 
heathen,  and  that  Peter  himself  commonly  recognized 
Gentile  converts  as  Christian  brethren  and  associated 
with  them  without  scruple  (Gal.  2  19,  12).  The  question 
among  the  early  Christians  was  not  whether  the  Gentiles 
might  receive  the  gospel,  but,  whether  they  might  be 
8 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

saved  without  being  circumcised  and  obeying  the  Jewish 
law.  There  were  those  who  held  that  the  observance  of 
the  Mosaic  law  was  necessary  to  salvation  (Acts  15:1). 
The  apostles  themselves  did  not  go  to  this  extreme,  but 
the  question  is  a  puzzling  one  and  their  conduct  was  not 
always  consistent  with  the  truth  of  a  universal  gospel. 
For  his  inconsistency  in  withdrawing  from  the  company 
of  the  Gentile  converts  at  Antioch  in  deference  to  the 
ideas  of  certain  Jewish  Christians,  Paul  severely  rebuked 
Peter,  solemnly  charging  him  to  "  walk  uprightly  accord- 
ing to  the  truth  of  the  gospel "  (Gal.  2:11  ff.). 


II 


THE     LEADING    CHARACTERISTICS     OF     JEWISH 
CHRISTIANITY 

It  was  natural  that  the  first  Christians,  reared  and 
trained  in  the  Jewish  religion,  should  be  strongly  attached 
to  its  beliefs  and  practices.  It  was  well  that  there  was 
no  sudden  break  with  Judaism.  The  religion  of  the  Jews 
was  the  preparation  and  basis  for  the  religion  of  Christ. 
The  Messianic  salvation  was  from  the  Jews  (John  4  :  22) ; 
that  is,  it  was  through  Jewish  history  that  the  way  was 
especially  prepared  for  the  Messiah's  coming.  But  while 
the  attachment  of  the  early  disciples  to  Judaism  had  its 

9 


Introduction  The  Messages 

good  side,  it  also  had  its  dangers.  It  was  not  easy  for 
them  to  hold  fast  the  essentials  of  truth  common  to  Juda- 
ism and  Christianity,  and  to  allow  outworn  beliefs  and 
rites  to  fall  away  and  be  forgotten.  Trained  in  a  system 
of  traditions  and  ceremonies  to  which  the  greatest  impor- 
tance had  been  attached,  the  first  believers  could  not  read- 
ily separate  the  wheat  from  the  chaff.  Accustomed  to 
habits  of  thought  to  which  a  ritualistic  system  gives  rise, 
they  found  it  hard  to  pass  to  an  appreciation  of  the  spirit- 
ual teaching  of  Jesus.  "  No  man  having  drunk  old  wine 
desireth  new  ;  for  he  saith,  the  old  is  good  "  (Luke  5  :  39). 
Religious  beliefs  and  practices,  once  fixed  and  adopted, 
always  have  an  immense  power  of  self-assertion  and  self- 
preservation.  An  intense  conservatism,  moreover,  was 
characteristic  of  the  Jewish  mind,  especially  during  the 
two  or  three  centuries  preceding  Christ's  coming.  It  was 
the  period  of  Israel's  decline  ;  the  canon  of  Scripture  had 
been  closed  ;  the  prophetic  age  was  over  ;  religious  beliefs 
had  been  authoritatively  defined ;  the  ritual  had  been 
elaborated  in  great  detail ;  tradition  reigned  supreme. 
It  was  the  age  of  the  scribe  and  the  priest.  Incapable 
of  search  for  new  truth  and  impervious  to  its  reception, 
the  religious  leaders  of  the  people  occupied  themselves 
with  ingenious  applications  of  the  letter  of  Scripture  and 
in  the  perfunctory  performance  of  religious  ceremonies. 
It  seemed  a  barren  soil  in  which  to  plant  the  seeds  of  a 
gospel  which  was  destined  to  change  the  world. 
10 


of  the  Apostles       .  Introduction 

One  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of  Judaism  was 
what  is  called  "  particularism  ;  "  that  is,  the  tendency  to 
regard  the  Jews  as  the  special  favorites  of  heaven  and  to 
suppose  that  all  other  peoples  were  outside  the  pale  of 
God's  mercy  or  interest.  This  narrow  view  arose  from  a 
false  interpretation  of  the  divine  calling  of  Israel.  The 
true  meaning  of  the  nation's  election  was  that  the  Jewish 
people,  as  the  recipients  of  revelation,  should  be  the  me- 
dium of  the  divine  mercy  to  the  world.  But  the  people 
regarded  God's  favor  as  destined  for  themselves  alone  and 
as  terminating  on  their  own  happiness  and  salvation. 
This  idea  of  Israel's  election  meets  us  frequently  in  the 
pages  of  the  New  Testament.  It  was  against  this  mis- 
conception that  the  apostle  Paul  protested  in  his  great 
argument  to  show  that  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  Jews 
only,  but  also  of  the  Gentiles,  and  that  the  "  chosen  peo- 
ple," if  they  are  faithless  and  disobedient,  will  forfeit  the 
favor  of  God  (Rom.  ii  :  20-22). 

The  Jews  were  characterized  by  a  strong  attachment  to 
religious  ceremonies,  especially  the  rite  of  circumcision. 
It  was  this  rite  which  marked  this  people  off  from  the  sur- 
rounding nations  ;  it  was  the  badge  of  their  separateness 
from  the  world  and  the  pledge  of  their  consecration  to 
Jehovah.  But,  as  so  often  happens  in  the  case  of  relig- 
ious ceremonies,  its  higher  meaning  was  obscured,  if  not 
wholly  lost,  in  the  later  Judaism.  Instead  of  being  re- 
garded as  a  pledge  of  obedience  and  faithfulness  to  God, 
II 


Introduction  The  Messages 

it  was  viewed  as  a  guaranty  of  his  special  and  exclusive 
favor.  The  people  interpreted  circumcision  as  evidence 
that  God's  grace  was  pledged  to  them  and  that  the  divine 
promises  to  Israel  would  be  fulfilled  irrespective  of  the 
conduct  of  the  nation.  It  was  thus  easy  to  fall  into  care- 
lessness and  indifference  respecting  those  conditions  on 
which  alone  God  can  grant  his  spiritual  mercies  to  men. 
In  this  way  Jewish  ritualism  became  a  mere  outward  form 
of  godliness.  Religion  degenerated  into  a  superstitious 
dependence  upon  outward  rites  from  which  the  power  of 
living  conviction  and  sincere  consecration  had  departed. 
The  official  representatives  of  this  ritualism  were  the  most 
determined  opponents  of  Christ  and  his  gospel. 

Another  peculiarity  of  Jewish  religious  thought  was 
legalism.  God  was,  above  all  things,  the  Lawgiver.  He 
had  prescribed  all  the  duties  of  life  in  a  great  system  of 
commandments  and  prohibitions.  To  observe  these  was 
to  win  his  favor,  and  to  attain  temporal  and  eternal  bless- 
edness. The  relation  of  mankind  to  God  was  conceived 
as  a  legal,  rather  than  as  an  ethical  and  personal,  relation. 
Popular  tradition  had  so  elaborated  the  laws  contained  in 
Scripture  that  all  life  consisted  in  a  round  of  observances 
and  performances  by  which  the  devotee  hoped  to  win  the 
approval  of  God  and  the  reward  of  perfect  obedience. 

These  facts  are  of  importance  to  the  student  of  the 
New  Testament,  because  the  ideas  and  tendencies  of 
which  we  have  been  speaking  were  carried  over  into  early 

12 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

Christianity  and  must  be  taken  into  account  in  the  effort 
to  understand  and  interpret  many  New  Testament  books. 
Every  reader  of  the  gospels  knows  how  often  our  Lord 
came  into  conflict  with  the  scribes  and  priests — the  re- 
ligious and  theological  teachers  of  his  time.  Their  em- 
phasis upon  outward  ceremonies,  their  adherence  to  human 
tradition,  their  maintenance  of  superficial  distinctions  to 
the  neglect  of  great  moral  principles,  were  among  the 
points  in  which  his  teaching  and  life  stood  in  irreconcilable 
contrast  with  theirs. 

In  the  Acts  and  epistles  this  contrast  between  Judaism 
and  the  gospel  comes  constantly  into  view.  Against  the 
idea  that  God  was  primarily  to  be  thought  of  as  a  Law- 
giver issuing  rules  and  commandments,  the  gospel  taught 
that  he  was  to  be  regarded  as  a  Father.  In  contrast  to 
the  popular  view  that  religion  consisted  in  outward  deeds, 
Christianity  taught  that  it  consisted  in  a  certain  state  of 
the  heart,  in  a  God-like  life.  To  the  question  :  What  shall 
I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ?  which  Judaism  had  answered 
by  prescribing  legal  obedience,  Christ  and  his  apostles 
answered  by  enjoining  love  to  God  and  man,  and  trust  in 
the  grace  of  the  heavenly  Father.  These  were  great  and 
far-reaching  differences.  They  made  it  impossible  for 
the  advocates  of  the  two  systems  to  dwell  together  in 
peace.  They  were  influenced  by  different  motives  and 
rested  upon  different  principles.  For  a  time  men  might 
attempt  to  reconcile  the  two  points  of  view,  but  they  were, 
13 


Introduction  The  Messages 

as  Paul  so  clearly  showed,  inherently  inconsistent  and 
must  lead  to  separation. 

The  political  conception  of  the  Messiah  and  of  his  king- 
dom, current  in  Judaism,  was  one  of  the  principal  obsta- 
cles in  the  Jewish  mind  to  the  acceptance  of  Jesus,  who 
founded  no  party,  led  no  uprising,  and  refused  to  draw  the 
sword.  It  was  no  easy  task  for  the  first  believers  to  break 
away  from  the  lower  conceptions  of  Christ's  work  in  which 
they  had  grown  up  and  to  adopt  the  notions  of  a  spiritual 
king  and  kingdom  and  of  salvation  by  sacrifice. 

The  principal  illustrations  of  the  survival  in  early  Jew- 
ish Christianity  of  the  peculiarities  which  have  been  enu- 
merated will  be  found  (so  far  as  the  portions  of  the  New 
Testament  included  in  this  volume  are  concerned)  in  the 
difficulty  with  which  Peter  and  his  associates  were  brought 
to  see  that  "  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,"  and  that  the 
terms  of  salvation  are  the  same  for  Jews  and  Greeks ;  in 
the  persistency  with  which  the  Hebrew  Christians  clung 
to  the  Jewish  ritual,  as  depicted  in  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews, and  in  certain  echoes  of  false  teaching  and  bitter 
opposition  to  the  gospel  which  we  hear  in  both  the  Pastoral 
and  the  Catholic  Epistles. 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

III 

THE    EARLIEST    CONFLICTS    OF  CHRISTIANITY    WITH 
HEATHENISM 

The  earliest  opposition  to  Christianity  came,  as  we  have 
seen,  from  Judaism  (Acts  4:1,  17).  The  almoner 
Stephen  was  the  first  victim  of  this  cruel  and  implacable 
hostility  (Acts  7  :  59).  When  Saul  was  converted  and 
began  to  proclaim  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  in  the  syna- 
gogues, he  at  once  became  the  object  of  a  murderous 
plot.  He  escaped  death  only  by  the  vigilance  of  his 
friends,  who  lowered  him  outside  the  wall  of  Damascus  at 
night  in  a  basket  (Acts  9  :  25).  Wherever  the  apostles 
went,  mobs  were  excited  against  them.  At  Lystra  the 
Jews  stoned  Paul  and  dragged  him  from  the  city,  suppos- 
ing him  to  be  dead  (Acts  14  :  19).  Paul  and  Silas  were 
driven  from  Thessalonica  by  a  rabble  who  pursued  them 
even  to  Beroea  (Acts  17  :  10,  13).  Their  preaching  in 
the  Jewish  synagogues  was  everywhere  the  signal  for  an 
uproar.  Such  treatment  was  sure  to  precipitate  a  crisis. 
At  Antioch  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  been  compelled  to 
acknowledge  that  further  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  Jews 
seemed  useless.  "  It  was  necessary,"  they  said,  "  that 
the  word  of  God  should  first  be  spoken  to  you.  Seeing 
you  thrust  it  from  you,  and  judge  yourselves  unworthy  of 
eternal  life,  lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles"  (Acts  13  :  46). 

15 


Introduction  The  Messages 

Again,  when  at  Corinth,  Paul,  Silas,  and  Timothy  sought 
to  use  the  freedom  of  the  synagogue  for  preaching  Christ, 
and  were  only  met  by  opposition  and  blasphemy  (Acts 
i8  :  6),  the  apostle  cried :  "  Your  blood  be  upon  your  own 
heads ;  I  am  clear ;  from  henceforth  I  will  go  unto  the 
Gentiles."  These  events  were  turning-points  in  the  apos- 
tle's career  and  in  the  progress  of  the  gospel.  They 
marked  the  increasing  hopelessness  of  converting  the 
Jewish  people  to  belief  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  and 
opened  the  way  to  the  great  and  successful  work  of  Gen- 
tile missions. 

But  how  would  the  preachers  and  their  message  fare  at 
the  hands  of  the  heathen  ?  At  Athens  the  curious  and 
light-minded  Greeks  had  heard  their  message  with  min- 
gled incredulity  and  contempt  (Acts  17  :  32).  Was  this 
an  augury  of  the  future  ?  Or  was  the  successful  mission 
which  had  been  established  at  Antioch  (Acts  1 1  :  20),  in 
which  many  Gentiles  had  gladly  received  the  word  of 
God  (Acts  13  :  47,  48),  to  be  regarded  as  a  prophecy  of 
the  reception  which  awaited  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
among  the  heathen?  In  some  critical  instances  the 
Roman  power  had  refused  to  lend  its  sanction  to  the  mur- 
derous plots  of  the  Jews,  and  had  even  thrown  its  shelter- 
ing arm  over  the  persecuted  "  sect."  Was  this  an  assur- 
ance that  the  great  empire  was  destined  to  be  an  ally  of 
the  gospel  ? 

If  we  carefully  read  the  history  of  the  earliest  missions 
16 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

to  the  Gentiles  we  observe  indications  that  the  course  of 
Christianity  in  the  heathen  world  was  not  to  be  a  smooth 
one.  The  differences,  both  doctrinal  and  practical,  between 
Christianity  and  the  religions  of  Greece  and  Rome  were 
deep  and  wide,  Christianity  knew  but  one  God,  heathen- 
ism had  "  gods  many  and  lords  many  "  (i  Cor.  8:5);  the 
gospel  proclaimed  salvation  through  Christ,  heathenism 
sought  the  favor  of  heaven  through  sacrifices,  oracles,  and 
auguries ;  the  religion  of  Christ  required  a  pure  life,  the 
heathen  religion  tolerated  and  even  encouraged  many  cor- 
rupting practices  and  revolting  vices.  Sooner  or  later  the 
gospel  must  come  into  decisive  conflict  with  the  supersti- 
tions of  these  idolatrous  systems.  There  could  be  no 
compromise  between  them. 

The  history  of  this  conflict  falls  mainly  outside  of  the 
New  Testament  period,  but  its  beginnings  are  already 
traceable  there.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  clash  generally 
came  at  the  point  where  the  work  of  the  apostles  affected 
unfavorably  the  selfish  interests  of  the  heathen.  The  super- 
stitions of  the  Grasco-Roman  world  provided  occupation 
for  a  horde  of  sorcerers,  soothsayers,  and  image-makers 
whose  pockets  would  quickly  feel  the  effect  of  a  work  like 
that  of  the  apostles.  Long  before  the  day  of  Gentile 
missions,  Philip  had  encountered  the  magician  Simon  in 
Samaria  (Acts  8  :  9).  At  Paphos,  on  the  first  missionary 
tour,  the  Jewish  sorcerer  Elymas  opposed  the  work  of 
Barnabas  and  Saul  and  sought  to  turn  aside  from  the  faith 

17 


Introduction  The  Messages 

the  Roman  proconsul,  Sergius  Paulus  (Acts  13  :  8). 
When  Paul  crossed  into  Europe  on  the  second  mission- 
ary tour,  he  quickly  found  that  the  interests  which  were 
fostered  by  heathen  superstition  would  not  be  indifferent 
to  his  work.  At  Philippi,  the  first  European  city  in  which 
Paul  and  his  companions  preached,  the  cure  of  a  sooth- 
sayer who  "  brought  her  masters  much  gain  "  by  the  prac- 
tice of  her  art,  occasioned  their  arrest,  chastisement  with 
rods,  and  imprisonment  (Acts  16:16  ff.).  But  the  appar- 
ent defeat  issued  in  victory,  for  not  only  was  the  jailer  who 
guarded  them  converted,  but  the  magistrates  were  forced 
to  the  verge  of  apology  when  they  learned  that  Paul  and 
Silas  were  Romans,  and  besought  them  to  go  quietly  from 
the  city  (Acts  16  :  38,  39).  At  Athens  Paul's  preaching 
was  received,  not,  indeed,  with  threats  and  violence,  but 
with  the  cynical  indifference  and  undisguised  contempt 
which  it  was  quite  as  hard  to  bear  (Acts  17  :  32).  At 
Ephesus  the  apostle  encountered  heathen  superstition  in 
its  most  inveterate  forms.  There  exorcists  and  necro- 
mancers in  great  numbers  plied  their  profitable  trade. 
Yet  in  his  campaign  against  them  the  apostle  was  highly 
successful.  Many  of  them  brought  the  books  in  which  the 
rules  of  their  magic  were  written  and,  publicly  burning 
them,  renounced  their  "  curious  arts"  (Acts  19  :  19). 

An  incident  occurred  at  this  time  which  occasioned  "  no 
small  stir  concerning  the  Way  "  (Acts  19  :  23).     At  Ephe- 
sus there  was  a  shrine-maker,  Demetrius,  who  conducted  a 
18 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

profitable  business  in  making  images  of  the  goddess  Diana. 
He  was  quick  to  discern  the  unfavorable  effect  of  Paul's 
work  upon  the  occupation  of  shrine-making.  He  loudly 
declared  that  the  whole  traffic  was  in  peril  and  that  the  di- 
vinity herself  was  being  "  deposed  from  her  magnificence" 
by  this  opponent  of  idol-worship.  A  tremendous  excite- 
ment followed  and  a  mob  was  created.  Paul  would  quite 
certainly  have  lost  his  life  had  it  not  been  for  the  interven- 
tion of  the  Roman  official,  who  not  only  reminded  the 
excited  populace  that  if  they  had  charges  to  prefer  against 
the  preachers,  they  could  do  so  before  the  courts,  but  also 
gave  them  the  very  quieting  suggestion  that  the  Roman 
authorities  would  probably  inquire  after  the  instigators  of 
the  uprising  (Acts  19  :  38,  40).  At  this  intimation  the 
crowd  seems  to  have  melted  away,  and  Paul  was  once  more 
*'  delivered  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lion  "  (2  Tim.  4  :  17). 

After  his  missionary  tours,  when  he  returned  to  Jerusa- 
lem, Paul  was  again  beset  by  enemies  who  had  followed 
him  from  proconsular  Asia.  All  Jerusalem  was  thrown 
into  confusion,  the  apostle  was  beaten  and  would  have 
been  killed  had  he  not  asserted  his  rights  as  a  Roman 
citizen  to  a  regular  legal  trial  (Acts  22  :  25-29).  Being 
transferred  to  Cassarea  (Acts  23  :  23),  he  was  examined 
before  Felix  (Acts  24)  and  Festus  (Acts  25),  and,  at  length 
— after  abandoning  all  hope  of  obtaining  justice  at  the 
hands  of  these  men — he  appealed  to  Caesar  (Acts  25  :  11). 
Then  followed  his  stormy  voyage  to  Rome  (Acts  27,  28) 

19 


Introduction  The  Messages 

and  the  history  abruptly  ends.  Here  tradition  takes  up 
the  story  and  assures  us  that  Paul  was  tried  and  released, 
and  then  tried  again  and  condemned  to  death,  and  that  he 
perished  beside  the  Ostian  road,  near  the  place  where  now 
stands  the  splendid  Basilica  which  bears  his  name.  Peter 
is  also  said  to  have  died  a  martyr  at  Rome. 

This  history  of  Christianity's  early  conflicts  with  heath- 
enism is  only  a  sketch,  but  it  is  enough  to  reveal  to  us  the 
patience,  courage,  and  faith  of  those  who,  like  Paul,  per- 
ished in  the  cause  to  which  they  had  consecrated  their 
lives.  To  the  sufferings  which  discipleship  to  Christ 
entailed,  the  New  Testament  bears  ample  witness.  The 
Epistles  of  Paul,  of  James,  and  of  Peter  are  addressed  to 
those  who,  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  are  suffering  hard- 
ships for  the  sake  of  Christ,  and  the  Apocalypse  is  a  lurid 
picture  of  the  sufferings  of  the  church  under  the  cruelties 
of  Rome.  Alike  from  Jews  and  heathens  the  early  Chris- 
tians must  "  endure  hardships."  The  reader  will  observe 
to  what  an  extent,  in  the  epistles  included  in  this  volume, 
the  aim  of  the  writers  is  to  encourage  the  believers  to 
whom  they  wrote  to  be  brave  and  patient  under  perse- 
cution. Over  the  picture  of  the  early  church  falls  this 
dark  shadow  of  sorrow  and  suffering,  reminding  us  of  the 
sketch  which  Paul  has  left  us  of  his  own  experience  : 
"  Of  the  Jews  five  times  received  I  forty  stripes  save  one. 
Thrice  was  I  beaten  with  rods,  once  was  I  stoned,  thrice 
I  suffered  shipwreck,  a  day  and  a  night  have  I  been  in 
20 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

the  deep  ;  in  journeyings  often,  in  perils  of  rivers,  in  perils 
of  robbers,  in  perils  from  my  countrymen,  in  perils  from 
the  Gentiles,  in  perils  in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wilder- 
ness, in  perils  in  the  sea,  in  perils  among  false  brethren ; 
in  labor  and  travail,  in  vi^atchings  often,  in  hunger  and 
thirst,  in  fastings  often,  in  cold  and  nakedness  "  (2  Cor. 
II  :  24-27).  And,  yet,  he  could  call  all  this  "  light  afflic- 
tion "  when  he  thought  of  "  the  eternal  weight  of  glory  " 
(2  Cor.  4:17)  which  shall  be  the  reward  of  the  faithful 
servant  of  Christ. 


IV 


THE    ANONYMOUS     AND     DISPUTED     BOOKS    OF    THE 
NEW     TESTAMENT 

The  first  books  to  receive  a  canonical,  that  is,  a  recog- 
nized authoritative  character  in  the  church  were  the  four 
Gospels.  This  was  the  natural  result  of  the  high  estimate 
in  which  the  teaching  and  acts  of  Jesus  were  held.  In 
these  the  church  saw  the  supreme  revelation  of  God. 
Hence  the  books  in  which  the  Lord's  words  and  deeds 
were  recorded  were  deemed  of  exceptional  value,  both  for 
the  instruction  of  believers  and  for  the  refutation  of  false 
teaching.  Next  in  order  of  importance  stood  a  second 
group  of  writings,  including  the  thirteen  Pauline  letters, 
I  Peter,  i  John,  and  the  Book  of  Acts.    As  the  canon  of 


Introduction  The  Messages 

the  Lord's  words  had  gradually  assumed  an  authoritative 
character  similar  to  that  which  was  attributed  to  the  Old 
Testament,  so  the  canon  of  undisputed  apostolic  writings 
and  of  apostolic  history  gradually  took  rank  with  the 
Gospels  as  sources  for  the  trustworthy  knowledge  of  prim- 
itive Christian  teaching.  This  second  group  of  books  was 
especially  adapted  to  do  service  in  the  refutation  of  the 
doctrinal  errors  which  from  a  variety  of  heathen  and  Jew- 
ish sources  invaded  the  early  church. 

The  formation  of  the  canon  was  a  long  and  slow  proc- 
ess, and  precise  dates  cannot  be  assigned  to  its  various 
stages.  In  general,  however,  it  may  be  confidently  stated 
that  the  canon  of  the  Gospel  was  fixed  during  the  first 
half,  and  the  larger  canon,  including  the  undisputed  apos- 
tolic books,  within  the  second  half,  of  the  second  century. 

Now,  in  addition  to  the  twenty  books  already  men- 
tioned, there  was  a  third  group  of  writings  which  were 
called  the  Antilegomena,  or  disputed  books.  These  were  : 
Hebrews,  James,  2  Peter,  Jude,  2  and  3  John,  and  (in  the 
East)  the  Apocalypse.  These  were  books  whose  apos- 
tolic authorship  and  authority  were  regarded  as  question- 
able, and  which,  therefore,  held  a  doubtful  position  and 
were  generally  regarded  as  of  secondary  importance. 
They  were  accepted  and  read  by  some  churches,  and  not 
by  others.  By  some  Christians  they  were  read  as  edify- 
ing, but  not  as  authoritative  books.  We  know  that  other 
books  which,  finally,  did  not  obtain  a  permanent  place  in 
22 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

the  canon  occupied,  for  a  time,  a  similar  position  —  for 
example,  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas  and  the  Shepherd  of 
Hermas.  In  some  instances  the  Eastern  churches  differed 
from  the  Western  in  their  attitude  toward  disputed  books 
— for  example  the  Book  of  Revelation  was  generally  ac- 
cepted in  the  West,  while  it  was  questioned  or  rejected  in 
the  East ;  the  reverse  was  the  case  with  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews.  Not  until  the  fourth  century  can  these  ques- 
tions concerning  the  disputed  books  be  said  to  have  been 
put  to  rest.  Toward  this  result  the  great  theologian 
Athanasius  exercised  a  powerful  influence.  Finally,  the 
ecclesiastical  councils  of  Laodicea  (A.D.  363)  and  Car- 
thage (A.  D.  397)  adopted  as  the  authoritative  standards 
of  Christian  teaching  the  twenty-seven  books  which  now 
compose  our  New  Testament. 

From  this  historical  sketch  it  is  evident  that  the  early 
church  gave  long  and  earnest  attention  to  questions  con- 
cerning its  earliest  traditions  and  the  trustworthiness  of 
the  books  which  purported  to  contain  primitive  Christian 
teaching.  By  applying  a  variety  of  tests  to  the  various 
writings  which  made  claims  to  consideration  it  sought  to 
•'  prove  all  things  and  to  hold  fast  that  which  is  good." 
Some  of  these  tests  were  :  historical  trustworthiness, 
apostolicity,  and  actual  usefulness  for  edification.  The 
task  of  determining  what  books  were  entitled  to  the  rank 
of  original  documents  of  the  Christian  religion  was  no 
easy  one.  Some  of  these  books  were  anonymous,  as,  for 
23 


Introduction  The  Messages 

example,  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  Others  bore  a 
familiar  name,  as  James  and  Jude,  but  furnished  no  other 
important  indication  respecting  the  personality  of  the 
author.  One  book  among  the  Antilegomena,  2  Peter, 
claimed  to  be  the  work  of  an  apostle,  but  in  its  character 
and  contents  presented  so  many  serious  difficulties  to  the 
acceptance  of  its  apostolic  authorship  that  even  as  late  as 
the  third  century  we  find  it  more  widely  rejected  than 
accepted. 

This  process  by  which  the  collection  of  sacred  books 
was  formed  seems  altogether  natural  when  the  circum- 
stances of  the  early  church  are  considered.  At  first, 
while  the  memory  of  the  Lord's  words  and  deeds  were 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  all,  the  believing  community  would 
feel  no  need  of  any  canonical  books  except  those  of  the 
Old  Testament.  Only  when  the  first  generation  of 
believers  was  dying  out  would  it  be  thought  necessary  to 
compose  written  narratives  of  the  events  of  Jesus's  life  and 
teaching.  Had  the  church  felt  this  necessity  earlier,  per- 
haps a  much  fuller  account  of  our  Lord's  life  would  have 
been  preserved  to  us.  Again,  the  New  Testament  epis- 
tles were  all  occasional  writings.  Their  authors  wrote 
them  to  meet  some  particular  need  and  had  no  idea  in  so 
doing  of  contributing  to  a  permanent  collection  of  author- 
itative books.  Had  the  authors  of  these  letters  foreseen 
the  use  which  was  to  be  made  of  their  writings  during 
many  centuries  of  Christian  history,  they  would  probably 
24 


of  the  Apostles  Introduction 

have  supplied  us  with  much  information  concerning  them- 
selves and  their  readers  which  is  now  wanting  and  the 
lack  of  which  gives  rise  to  many  unsolved,  and  often 
insoluble,  problems.  How  very  little  can  we  know  with 
any  certainty  concerning  the  writers  and  original  readers 
of  the  third  group  of  books  which  were  almost  as  much 
"  disputed "  in  the  early  church  as  they  are  among 
scholars  to-day.  In  the  absence  of  specific  information, 
either  from  the  writings  themselves  or  from  other  sources, 
we  are  left  to  construct  as  best  we  may  a  historical  situa- 
tion into  which  these  writings  may  be  fitted,  and  tenta- 
tively to  assign  to  them  dates  which  seem  appropriate  for 
the  type  of  teaching  or  the  ecclesiastical  conditions  which 
they  reflect. 

The  books  in  question  (which  compose  the  greater  part 
of  the  present  volume)  differ  in  one  important  point  from 
the  Pauline  epistles.  The  latter  are  intensely  personal  and 
reflect  definite  historical  situations.  These  characteris- 
tics are  either  quite  wanting  or  very  indefinite  in  the  case 
of  the  "  disputed  books."  Moreover,  we  have  the  narra- 
tive of  Paul's  life  and  missionary  labors  in  Acts,  into 
which  we  can  fit  his  first  ten  epistles.  Such  a  historical 
framework  is  lacking  in  the  case  of  the  Antilegomena. 
Our  critical  difficulties  respecting  these  books  are  mainly 
due  to  the  want  of  historical  and  biographical  informa- 
tion. The  spread  of  Christianity  through  Asia  Minor  and 
Greece  to  Rome  is  mainly  identified  with  the  work  of  the 
25 


Introduction 

Apostle  Paul.  Of  its  extension  in  other  directions  and  of 
the  other  Christian  workers  in  Palestine  and  in  the  Dis- 
persion we  know  comparatively  little.  Probably  no  other 
man  so  stamped  his  personality  upon  early  Christianity  as 
did  Paul;  if  any  other  did  so,  time  has  effaced  the  im- 
pression and  history  has  preserved  to  us  no  clear  and 
trustworthy  record  of  his  work.  The  tradition  concerning 
John's  work  in  Ephesus,  which  has  been  preserved  in  the 
writings  of  the  early  church  writers,  is  the  nearest  approach 
to  our  information  concerning  Paul ;  but  it  bears  no  com- 
parison with  the  latter  in  clearness  and  definiteness.  The 
indications  of  Peter's  residence  and  work  at  Rome  in  early 
Christian  literature  are  still  more  obscure  and  conflicting. 
The  other  original  apostles  —  James,  Andrew,  Philip, 
Bartholomew,  Thomas,  and  the  rest— are  hardly  more 
than  names  to  us.  While  it  is  true  that  the  New  Testa- 
ment enables  us  to  obtain  a  clear  idea  of  the  most  fruitful 
and  permanent  movement  of  early  Christian  history,  it 
would  be  a  matter  of  deep  interest  and  a  great  aid  to  the 
solution  of  critical  problems,  if  we  knew  more  of  the 
corresponding  movements  in  the  original  home  of  our 
religion  and  in  the  East.  We  have  reason  to  be  thankful, 
however,  that  in  some  of  the  "disputed  books,"  at  least, 
we  may  find,  outside  the  w^ork  of  Paul,  memorials  of  that 
early  Christian  history  which  has  left  so  few  and  such  in- 
distinct traces  on  the  pages  of  the  New  Testament. 


26 


THE  RECORDED  SERMONS  OF  THE 
APOSTLES 


THE   RECORDED   SERMONS   OF   THE 
APOSTLES 


THE  PROBLEMS  WITH  WHICH    THE    EARLY  APOSTLES 
HAD    TO    DEAL 

To  understand  primitive  Christianity,  the  student  must 
constantly  remember  that  it  took  its  rise  on  the  soil  of 
Judaism.  Its  Founder  and  his  first  disciples  were  Jews. 
The  sacred  books  of  Judaism,  which  constitute  our  Old 
Testament,  were  the  sources  from  which  their  religious 
and  moral  instruction  was  drawn.  Jesus  always  regarded 
these  books  with  reverence  and  conformed  to  the  system 
of  worship  and  observance  which  was  based  upon  them. 
When  he  began  to  gather  about  himself  a  band  of  disci- 
ples he  did  not  require  them  to  abandon  their  ancestral 
beliefs  and  practices.  They  accordingly  continued  to  ob- 
serve the  rites  of  the  Jewish  religion.  They  attended,  as 
he  himself  did,  upon  the  services  of  synagogue  and  tem- 
ple, without  a  thought  that  discipleship  to  Christ  would 
involve  a  break  with  the  religion  of  their  fathers. 

Yet  such  a  break  was  inevitable.  Their  master  had 
29 


Apostolic  Addresses  The  Messages 

come  to  fulfil  the  law  and  the  prophets.  The  Old  Testa- 
ment religion  represented  a  stage  in  the  great  process  of 
divine  revelation,  but  the  time  had  now  come  when  a  new 
epoch  was  about  to  begin.  The  Jewish  system  had  fulfilled 
its  purpose  and  was  "  ready  to  disappear  "  (Heb.  8:13).  It 
was  to  pass  away  as  the  blossom  passes  away  when  it  is 
fulfilled  in  the  fruit — not  by  being  destroyed  but  by  being 
taken  up  into  a  higher  stage  of  development.  In  this 
process  of  fulfilment  all  that  was  of  merely  temporary 
validity,  all  that  was  merely  local  or  national,  or  adapted 
only  to  special  conditions,  must  fall  away  of  its  own  ac- 
cord in  order  that  the  principles  and  laws  which  are 
changeless  and  universal  might  stand  forth  in  their  true 
and  eternal  truth  and  power.  Thus  only  could  the  re- 
ligion of  Israel  pass  into  a  world-religion. 

Of  the  import  of  this  great  transition  the  first  disciples 
had  no  clear  idea.  Indeed,  they  could  only  gradually  be 
led  to  see  that  any  such  transition  was  impending.  It 
was  not  so  much  the  logic  of  reflection  as  the  logic  of 
events  which  awakened  in  them  the  consciousness  that 
Christianity  was  something  other  than  Judaism,  and  that 
the  teaching  of  their  Master  was  made  up  of  principles 
of  universal  validity  which  were  equally  applicable  to  all 
men.  He  had,  indeed,  shown  them  by  his  example  that 
he  did  not  regard  the  Jewish  people  alone  as  the  recipients 
of  God's  grace,  and  had  taught  them  that  his  truth  was 
new  wine  which  could  not  be  confined  in  the  old  bottles 

30 


of  the  Apostles  Apostolic  Addresses 

of  Jewish  belief  and  practice  (Mark  2  :  22)  ;  but  the  gos- 
pels make  it  plain  that  they  but  very  imperfectly  under- 
stood his  meaning.  He  was  constantly  telling  his  disci- 
ples that  his  kingdom  was  spiritual  in  its  nature — a  society 
and  fellowship  of  those  who  were  animated  by  the  motives 
and  principles  of  his  own  life  and  teachings — but  they 
could  conceive  of  no  kingdom  which  was  not  an  outward 
organization,  like  the  Jewish  state,  and  of  no  king  who 
should  rule  merely  in  the  hearts  of  men.  Thus  the  early 
disciples,  while  sincerely  attached  to  their  Master  and 
conscientiously  desirous  of  receiving  his  word,  remained, 
in  a  great  degree,  blind  to  the  higher  and  broader  mean- 
ings of  his  teaching  and  work. 

When,  at  length,  Jesus  began  to  speak  of  death  as  the 
goal  which  awaited  him,  they  were  not  only  puzzled  but 
offended  (Matt.  16  :  22).  That  the  Messianic  King,  the 
promised  Deliverer  of  the  nation,  should  suffer  and  die 
was  to  them  a  bewildering  contradiction.  Had  not  the 
Old  Testament  depicted  the  Messiah  as  a  triumphant  and 
reigning  Prince  subduing  his  enemies  and  leading  his  peo- 
ple to  prosperity  and  peace  .'*  Now  he  in  whom  they  had 
trusted  as  Messiah  declared  that  he  must  die  at  the  hands 
of  the  people  whom  he  had  come  to  save.  Surely  the  dis- 
may of  the  disciples  at  this  announcement  was,  in  all  the 
circumstances,  quite  natural.  Their  mistake  lay  partly  in 
a  superficial  literal  interpretation  of  Old  Testament  texts 
and  partly  in  a  general  incapacity  to  see  that  love  conquers 

31 


Apostolic  Addresses  The  Messages 

by  humiliation  and  suffering,  and  that  the  path  of  sacrifice 
is  the  true  way  to  exaltation  and  glory. 

At  last  the  dreaded  event  occurred.  Jesus  was  crucified 
and  the  hope  of  his  disciples  died  with  him  (Luke  24  :  19, 
20).  But  while  they  were  brooding  over  their  disappoint- 
ment, they  learned  that  he  had  risen  from  the  grave.  To 
one  and  another,  and  even  to  assembled  companies  of 
his  disciples  he  "  manifested  himself  after  his  passion  by 
many  proofs  "  (Acts  i  :  3).  It  was  this  event  which  kin- 
dled hope  again  in  the  hearts  of  the  disciples  and  in  it  we 
find  both  the  motive  and  the  theme  of  the  earlier  preach- 
ing. When,  later,  he  ascended  to  heaven  they  pro- 
claimed him  not  only  as  the  Victor  over  death  but  as  the 
glorified  Redeemer,  exalted  to  the  throne  of  honor  and 
power  at  God's  right  hand. 

The  Gospels  bear  frequent  testimony  to  the  failure  of 
the  disciples  to  understand  the  deeper  truths  of  their  Mas- 
ter's teaching.  We  have  seen  that  the  two  points  about 
which  they  were  most  confused  were  the  necessity  of  his 
death  and  the  nature  of  his  kingdom.  Now  that  he  was 
risen  and  glorified  in  heaven,  the  way  was  open  for  them 
to  attain  a  truer  conception  concerning  both  these  sub- 
jects. They  had  learned  that  his  death  had  not  involved 
the  failure  of  his  mission,  and  his  exaltation  to  heaven  was 
adapted  to  suggest  higher  notions  of  his  kingdom  than 
those  of  earthly  conquest  and  dominion  vi^hich  they  had 
been  cherishing  throughout  his  ministry.  If  the  Mes- 
32 


of  the  Aposttes  Apostolic  Addresses 

siah's  death  did  not  mean  failure,  was  it,  perhaps,  the  nec- 
essary means  and  method  of  his  great  achievement  for 
mankind  ?  He  had  told  them  in  advance  that  the  Son  of 
man  must  suffer  death  (Mark  8  :  31),  and,  after  his  resur- 
rection, he  had  shown  them  how  the  suffering  and  dying 
of  the  Messiah  corresponded  to  the  Old  Testament  picture 
of  his  career  and  experience :  "  Then  opened  he  their 
mind,  that  they  might  understand  the  Scriptures ;  and  he 
said  unto  them,  Thus  it  is  written,  that  the  Christ  should 
suffer,  and  rise  again  from  the  dead  the  third  day  ;  and 
that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached 
in  his  name  unto  all  the  nations,  beginning  from  Jerusa- 
lem "  (Luke  24  :  45-47). 

The  opening  chapters  of  Acts  which  furnish  us  the  ear- 
liest examples  of  the  first  Christian  preaching,  represent 
the  disciples  as  illustrating  the  necessity  of  Christ's  death 
by  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament  (Acts  2  :  25-28, 34, 
35).  They  were  clear  on  one  point :  the  Messiah's  death, 
against  which  they  had  formerly  protested,  was  a  part 
of  the  divine  plan.  He  was  now  exalted  to  heaven ;  he 
belonged  to  a  higher  world  ;  he  had  promised  the  Spirit 
under  whose  inspiration  his  work  in  the  world  should  be 
carried  forward  with  greater  efficiency  than  when  he  was 
on  earth.  Here,  surely,  were  the  elements  of  a  wider  and 
higher  view  of  the  kingdom  than  that  which  they  had 
been  cherishing. 

It  would  be  too  much  to  expect,  however,  that  this 
33 


Apostolic  Addresses  The  Messages 

higher  idea  should  be  realized  all  at  once.  The  disci- 
ples* thoughts  could  rise  to  the  plane  of  the  Master's  only 
slowly  and  approximately.  We  accordingly  find  that  they 
still  continued  to  think  of  his  kingdom  as  reaching  its 
consummation  in  a  visible,  outward  form.  What  he  had 
failed  to  do  while  on  earth,  he  would,  they  thought,  soon 
return  to  accomplish.  Hence  they  stood  intently  gazing 
after  him  into  the  skies,  in  expectation  of  his  speedy  visi- 
ble return  to  complete  his  work.  This  view  of  the  method 
in  which  the  kingdom  of  God  should  come  continued  to 
hold  sway  during  the  apostolic  age.  There  is  scarcely  a 
New  Testament  writer  who  does  not  express  the  expecta- 
tion of  the  Lord's  speedy  return,  in  visible  majesty,  from 
heaven  to  earth  (see  e.g..  Acts  i  :  ii  ;  i  Thess.  4:15; 
I  John  2  :  28  ;  James  5  :  8,  9 ;  2  Peter  3  :  12,  13 ;  Rev. 
22  :  20). 

But  a  more  spiritual  and  wide-reaching  view  of  the 
kingdom  had  also  been  lodged  in  the  heart  of  the  church. 
It  was  the  idea  of  Jesus,  that  God's  kingdom  was  a  leaven 
in  the  life  of  the  world  whose  progress  was  not  "  with  ob- 
servation." Under  the  logic  of  events  and  the  tuition  of 
the  Spirit  this  conception  asserted  itself  in  ever-increasing 
power. 

The  early  preaching  of  the  apostles  can  only  be  under- 
stood in  the  light  of  these  facts.  Its  principal  elements 
were  :  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  his  death  as  a  part  of  his 
divine  mission,  and  his  resurrection  and  glorified  life  in 
34 


of  the  Apostles  Apostolic  Addresses 

heaven.  Later  the  Messiah's  death  took  on  a  more  posi- 
tive significance  and  was  regarded  as  the  primary  means 
of  salvation.  That  this  significance  was  already  attached 
to  the  death  of  Jesus  by  the  primitive  apostles  is  clear  from 
Paul's  statement  that  among  the  primary  truths  which  he 
had  received  from  them  was  the  fact  "  that  Christ  died  on 
behalf  of  our  sins  according  to  the  Scriptures"  (i  Cor. 
15:3).  From  a  protest  against  his  death  to  a  belief  in  it 
as  the  chief  saving,  Messianic  deed  was  a  great  transition, 
which  could  only  be  gradually  accomplished  by  the  study 
of  Scripture  and  by  the  promised  guidance  of  the  Spirit 
"  into  all  the  truth  "  of  Christ. 


II 


THE    GENERAL    CHARACTERISTICS    OF    THEIR 
SERMONS 

We  have  no  means  of  knowing  the  exact  manner  in 
which  the  reports  of  the  earliest  preaching  have  been  pre- 
served to  us.  The  Book  of  Acts  was  not  composed  until 
a  generation  after  the  early  discourses  of  which  we  are 
speaking  were  delivered.  Meantime  their  substance  must 
have  been  embodied  in  a  fund  of  tradition  which  was  care- 
fully cherished  and  handed  down.  It  is  probable  that  out- 
lines of  these  sermons  were  early  committed  to  writing  and 

35 


Apostolic  Addresses  The  Messages 

that  such  written  memoranda  were  at  the  service  of  Luke 
when  he  composed  the  Book  of  Acts.  The  origin  of  the 
Acts  was  doubtless  analogous,  in  this  respect,  to  that  of 
the  third  Gospel,  which,  the  author  tells  us  (Luke  i  :  1-4), 
proceeded  upon  the  knowledge  of  many  earlier  and  more 
fragmentary  accounts  of  the  Lord's  words  and  deeds. 

The  reports  of  the  discourses  as  we  have  them  are,  of 
course,  mere  outlines  or  summaries.  The  means  of  re- 
porting addresses  literally  and  in  full  did  not  exist  in 
ancient  times,  and  there  would  have  been  no  motive  for 
an  effort  to  report  them  thus.  The  early  teaching  of  the 
apostles,  like  that  of  Jesus,  was  wholly  oral  and  was  at 
first  preserved  only  in  the  memory  of  those  who  heard  it. 
Only  later  would  the  occasion  arise  to  commit  it  to  writing. 
Most  of  the  discourses  in  Acts,  if  the  reports  of  them  were 
to  be  regarded  as  complete,  would  have  occupied  not 
more  than  two  to  five  minutes  in  the  delivery.  It  is  ex- 
tremely improbable  that  the  first  preachers  on  occasions 
of  great  importance  could  have  spoken  so  briefly.  In  this 
connection  it  is  of  interest  that  a  prayer  of  the  Jerusalem 
congregation  has  been  preserved  to  us.  It  is  an  outcry  to 
heaven  against  the  threats  of  the  rulers  who  sought  to 
prevent  the  apostles  from  teaching  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
It  is  a  summary  of  the  church's  wishes  directed  heaven- 
ward in  that  time  of  bitter  trial,  a  resumi  of  the  petitions 
which  the  believers  were  accustomed  to  offer  in  this  stormy 
period.     Its  substance  is  :  "  May  God,  the  All-powerful, 

36 


of  the  Apostles  Apostolic  Addresses 

who  has  overruled  the  counsels  of  Christ's  foes  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  own  will,  give  us  courage  to  preach 
and  power  to  heal  in  the  Master's  name  "  (Acts  4  :  24-30). 

Looking  at  these  early  discourses  more  closely,  we  ob- 
serve that  they  are  built  upon  the  Old  Testament.  Their 
immediate  aim  is  to  show  a  correspondence  between 
prophecy  and  the  experience  of  Jesus.  The  sermons  were 
spoken  to  Jewish  audiences.  The  point  of  connection  be- 
tween preacher  and  hearer,  the  ground  which  was  com- 
mon to  both,  was  the  Old  Testament.  Both  parties  ac- 
cepted that  as  a  revelation  of  God's  will  and  purpose; 
both  agreed  that  in  its  prophetic  books  the  method  in 
which  God  would  save  his  people  through  the  Messiah 
was  set  forth.  The  main  point  in  which  they  differed 
was  one  of  fact.  Did  Jesus  correspond  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment picture  of  Messiah  ?  This  the  apostles  affirmed,  and 
their  Jewish  opponents  denied. 

It  was,  in  part,  a  question  of  interpretation.  As  such 
it  was  necessary  to  discuss  it  by  making  appeal  to  the  lan- 
guage of  prophecy.  Accordingly  we  find  in  the  summary 
of  Peter's  discourse  at  Pentecost  (Acts  2  :  14  ff.)  no  less 
than  six  Old  Testament  passages  adduced  (two  of  them 
extending  to  several  verses)  in  illustration  and  confirma- 
tion of  his  argument.  In  the  speech  of  Stephen  before 
the  Sanhedrin  (Acts  7  :  2-53)  there  are  nine  such  quota- 
tions, not  counting  mere  Old  Testament  words  and  brief 
phrases.  This,  then,  was  the  primary  purpose  of  the  first 
37 


Apostolic  Addresses  The  Messages 

preaching:  to  show  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  that  his 
life,  death,  and  resurrection  corresponded  to  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecy,  and  that  it  was  therefore  the  duty  of  the 
Jewish  people  to  receive  him  as  the  divinely  sent  Messiah. 
From  another  point  of  view  these  discourses  constituted 
a  defence  of  their  authors  and  of  the  Christian  commu- 
nity. For  example :  the  excitement  attending  the  great 
revival  at  Pentecost  had  given  rise  to  the  charge  that  the 
Christians  were  intoxicated  (Acts  2:13).  At  the  opening 
of  his  discourse  Peter  took  notice  of  this  accusation,  deny- 
ing its  correctness  and  furnishing  another  explanation  of 
the  facts  which  had  given  rise  to  it.  The  address  of  Peter 
to  the  people  after  the  healing  of  the  lame  man  (Acts 
3  :  12  ff.)  was,  in  the  first  instance,  designed  to  show  them 
that  it  was  not  through  the  apostles'  own  power  but  through 
the  power  of  Christ  that  they  had  been  able  to  do  the  mira- 
cle. The  apostles  thus  disclaimed  being  magicians  and 
represented  themselves  as  the  bearers  of  a  divine  power 
and  commission.  The  immediate  occasion  and  aim  of  the 
address  to  the  rulers  (Acts  4  :  8  ff .)  was  similar.  When  the 
apostles  were  charged  with  occasioning  excitement  and 
tumult  in  the  city  their  answer  was  :  "  We  must  obey  God 
rather  than  men  "  (Acts  5  :  29).  No  choice  was  left  them  ; 
they  must  proclaim  the  gospel  of  Christ.  If  their  preach- 
ing caused  division  and  contention,  it  was  not  their  fault. 
On  the  contrary,  they  boldly  charged  the  fault  upon  their 
opponents  because  of  their  rejection  of  the  Messiah  and 

38 


of  the  Apostles  Apostolic  Addresses 

their  cruel  opposition  to  his  witnesses.  The  address  of 
Stephen,  especially,  was  of  the  nature  of  a  defence  against 
the  charge  that  he  had  spoken  "  blasphemous  words 
against  Moses,  and  against  God"  (Acts  6  :  ii).  Later, 
Peter  had  to  defend  himself  against  the  objections  which 
the  more  narrow-minded  Jewish  Christians  made  to  his 
association  with  heathen  converts  (Acts  11:2,  3).  It  thus 
appears  in  how  great  a  degree  these  early  sermons  were 
defensive.  The  apostles  represented  an  unpopular  cause, 
a  movement  which  was  everywhere  spoken  against.  It 
was  necessary  that  they  should  justify  their  conduct  and 
their  teaching  and  defend  themselves  against  the  misun- 
derstanding and  misrepresentations  to  which  they  were 
everywhere  exposed. 

But  the  sermons  under  consideration  were  not  merely 
expository  and  apologetic  ;  they  were  also  didactic.  They 
had  a  positive  message  of  truth  and  fact  to  deliver.  They 
asserted  that  Jesus  had  been  proved  to  be  the  Messiah  by 
his  life,  death,  and  resurrection;  that  he  now  reigned 
supreme  in  heavenly  glory ;  that  he  was  the  true  and  only 
Saviour,  and  that  God  would  judge  the  people  by  the 
attitude  which  they  assumed  toward  his  holy  Servant, 
whom  he  had  sent  for  their  salvation.  If  it  was  plain  and 
simple,  it  was  nevertheless  a  great  message  which  the 
apostles  delivered.  It  was  a  message  whose  acceptance  or 
rejection  must  prove  decisive  for  the  Jewish  people.  If 
the  assertions  of  the  apostles  were  true,  if  the  Messiah 
39 


Apostolic  Addresses  The  Messages 

had  appeared,  then  it  was  certain  that  the  nation  was 
facing  its  destiny.  It  was  a  great  contention  for  a  few 
men  without  prestige  or  influence  to  make  in  the  face  of 
all  the  constituted  authorities.  But  with  a  splendid  cour- 
age, born  of  faith,  the  apostles  made  and  maintained  this 
contention.  Persecution  and  death  were  the  price  which 
they  paid  for  the  privilege  of  being  witnesses  for  Christ, 
but  in  their  case,  as  afterward,  the  saying  proved  true 
that  the  blood  of  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church. 

The  first  sermons  were  also  accusations.  The  burden 
of  the  charge  which  these  preachers  hurled  at  the  Jews 
was :  You  sought  to  destroy  the  Messiah,  but  God  has 
overruled  your  design  and  thwarted  your  purpose.  When 
they  touch  upon  this  point  the  language  of  the  sermons 
often  becomes  peculiarly  vehement :  "  You  by  the  hand 
of  lawless  men  did  crucify  and  slay  "  the  Messiah  (2  :  23)  ; 
but  "  God  hath  made  this  Jesus  whom  you  crucified  both 
Lord  and  Christ "  (2  :  36).  "  You  delivered  up  (to  death) 
God's  Servant,  Jesus,  and  denied  him  before  the  face  of 
Pilate,  when  he  had  determined  to  release  him ;  you 
denied  the  Holy  and  Righteous  One,  and  asked  for  a 
murderer  to  be  granted  unto  you,  and  killed  the  Prince  of 
life,  whom  God  raised  from  the  dead"  (3  :  13-15).  The 
speech  of  Stephen,  especially,  is  a  passionate  indictment 
of  the  Jewish  people,  showing  by  a  historical  survey  how 
flagrantly  they  have  disobeyed  God,  how  they  have  slain 
his  messengers,  the  prophets,  and  refused  to  hear  the 
40 


of  the  Apostles  Apostolic  Addresses 

voice  of  God  which  has  spoken  to  them  in  their  history, 
closing  with  the  burning  words  :  "  You  have  now  be- 
come the  betrayers  and  murderers  of  the  Righteous  One — 
you  who  received  the  law  as  it  was  ordained  by  angels, 
and  kept  it  not"  (7  :  53).  It  was  with  this  accusation  of 
hostility  to  God's  will  and  purpose  that  the  first  preachers 
coupled  their  exhortation  to  the  people  to  repent.  "  Re- 
pent therefore,"  they  cried,  "  and  turn  again  that  your  sins 
may  be  blotted  out  "(3:19);  he  whom  you  rejected  and 
crucified  is  your  judge ;  cease  to  be  his  enemies  and  be- 
come his  friends  (4:11,  12;  10  :  42). 

Finally,  the  discourses  in  question  are  marked  by  a  pre- 
dictive element.  They  foretell  a  judgment  to  come.  This 
judgment  is  thought  of  as  being  in  the  near  future  and  as 
involving,  especially,  the  Jewish  people  for  their  rejection 
of  the  Messiah.  God  has  exalted  Jesus  to  his  right  hand ; 
he  is  Lord  (2  :  36),  a  Prince  as  well  as  a  Saviour  (5  :  31), 
*'  ordained  of  God  to  be  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead  " 
(10  :  43).  The  first  preachers  did  not  fear  to  tell  their 
hearers  plainly  that  he  whom  they  had  condemned  to 
death  was  alive  ;  that  those  who  had  judged  him  had 
themselves  been  judged  ;  that  God  in  his  power  and  prov- 
idence had  reversed  their  decision  and  that  he  who  had 
once  meekly  stood  before  their  tribunals  was  now  on  the 
throne  of  heaven,  and  that  before  his  judgment-seat  they 
must  stand.  These  were  bold  and  startling  utterances,  and 
their  earnestness,  sincerity,  and  tone  of  conviction  make 
41 


Peter's  Addresses  The  Messages 

them  impressive  memorials  of  that  early  time  when  our 
religion  was  regarded  as  a  fanatical  superstition  and  when 
the  profession  of  faith  in  Christ  involved  contempt  and 
ostracism. 

Ill 

Peter's  early  discourses 

I.     The  Address  Concerning  the  Choice  of  an  Apostle 
(Acts  I  :  16-22) 

The  first  occasion  for  an  address  from  Peter  was  during 
the  days  of  waiting  in  the  "  upper  chamber,"  where  many 
disciples  were  gathered  in  anticipation  of  the  fulfilment 
of  the  promise, 
judas's  "  Fellow-believers,  the  treachery  of  Judas,  who  betrayed 

fumimemofour  Master,  was  but  a  fulfilment  of  prophecy.     In  the 
o'-^letT?)     Psalms,  David,  speaking  by  divine  inspiration,  refers  to 
one  who  should  lose  his  appointed  place,  and  this  is  ap- 
propriate to  Judas,  for  he  really  had  part  with  us  in  the 
The  violent  scrvicc  of  the  apostlcshlp.     With  the  money  obtained  by 
dS  foretold  his  treachery  he  bought  a  piece  of  land  on  which  he  after- 
(1 :  18-20)     ^^2X^i  died  a  violent  death— a  fact  which  became  notorious 
in  Jerusalem  and  gave  rise  to  the  name  by  which  the  place 
is  still  called,  namely,  '  the  field  of  blood.'     The  Psalm- 
passages  to  which  I  refer  speak  of  his  dwelling  as  being 
inhabited  no  more,  and  of  another  as  taking  his  place. 
42 


of  the  Apostles  Peter's  Addresses 

"  It  is,  accordingly,  necessary  for  us  to  choose  a  succes-  Require- 
sor  for  the  vacant  office.     He  must  be  taken  from  among  Se"apostoiic 
those  who  were  associated  with  us  and  with  the  Master  °i^?\^^  22) 
from  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  to  the  end,  and  who, 
Uke  ourselves,  can  testify  from  personal  knowledge  to  his 
resurrection." 

2.  The  Address  at  Pentecost  (Acts  2  :  14-39) 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  disciples  were  given  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Its  outward  manifestations  amazed  and  per- 
plexed the  multitude,  who  accused  them  of  intoxication. 
But  Peter  made  a  memorable  defence  and  appeal. 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  fellow-countrymen.  Your  explana-  The  speak- 
tion  of  the  present  excitement  which  attributes  it  toSngliesno 
intoxication,  is  unreasonable,  since  it  is  but  nine  o'clock  in  f^'^P-'^'?-  °^ 

'  intoxication 

the  morning.     On  the  contrary,  this   movement   is   the  ^ut  a  fuifii- 
fulfilment  of  Joel's  prophecy  which  declares  that  in  the  prophecy 
Messianic  age  the  Spirit  of  God  will  come  in  power,  not^^"  ^'* 
only  upon  a  chosen   few  but   upon  all  men,  producing 
ecstatic  states  and  ecstatic  speech  such  as  you  witness 
here  to-day.     Yea,  the  prophet  declares  that  in  both  the 
old  and  the  young  these  manifestations  shall  appear.     He 
further  describes  the  wonders  of  that  time   in  striking 
physical   imagery.     Marvels,   he  says,  shall   be  seen  in 
heaven  and  in  earth.     Dark  and  lurid  colors  shall  obscure 
the  light  of  sun  and  moon  as  harbingers  of  that  great 
testing-day  when  Jehovah  will  manifest  himself.    Then 
43 


Peter's  Addresses  The  Messages 

shall  Jehovah  gather  into   the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah 

those  who  receive  his  word  and  accept  his  grace. 

The  puroosc     "  Listen  to  my  message,  fellow-countrymen.     You  can 

\n  crucify^^  not  deny  that   God  set  the  seal   of  his  approval   upon 

thwlrte'd  by  J^sus  by  the  miracles  which  he  enabled  him  to  perform 

Stion"'^'      ^^  y°"^  ^^^y  midst.     Now  God  saw  fit  in  his  gracious 

(2 :  22-24)     purpose  to  allow  you  to  wreak   upon  him   your  cruel 

vengeance  by  putting  him  to  death.     But  your  purpose 

thereby  to  destroy  him,  God  thwarted  by  raising  him  from 

the  dead,  for  he  was  not  destined  to  be  death's  victim. 

His  resur-     In  him,  on  the  contrary,  was  to  be  fulfilled  the  psalmist's 

aTfuifiiment  words  of  hopc,  where  he  speaks  of  the  constant  presence 

Testament    ^"^  ^^^P  °^  Jehovah  in  which  he  constantly  rejoices  and 

promise       trusts.     With  this  confidence  he  is  certain  that  he  shall 

(2 :  25-28) 

not  be  abandoned  to  death  and  that  destruction  shall  not 

claim  as  its  prey  Jehovah's  chosen.     Rather  shall  life  be 

his  portion,  and  he  shall  rejoice  and  triumph  in  the  loving 

favor  of  his  God. 

Fulfilled,  not     "  Now  let  me  frankly  say  that  it  is  impossible  for  these 

but  in  Christ  words  to  have  found  their  adequate  fulfilment  in  David 

(2 :  29-31)     himself.     Long  years  ago  he  fell  a  victim  to  death,  nor 

has  he  ever  broken  its  bonds.     To  whom,  then,  does  this 

assurance  refer  ?    Evidently  to  the  Messiah  whom  God 

had  promised  to  raise  up  from  among  his  descendants. 

With  prophetic  foresight  he  was  speaking  of  the  triumph 

over  death  of  the  heir  to  his  throne,  the  Messianic  king. 

And  this  triumph  has  been  realized  in  the  resurrection  of 


of  the  Apostles  Peter's  Addresses 

Jesus,  to  the  reality  of  which  we  apostles  testify.     This  Witnessed 
great  movement  which  you  are  now  witnessing  is  due  to  and  by  Sfis 
the  Spirit  of  the  risen  and  glorified  Messiah  which  he  is  "f  thrs^l^t 
sending  upon  those  who  repent  and  receive  him.     It  is  (2 :  32-35) 
not  David,  but  David's  King  and  Lord,  in  whom  we  are 
to  see  the  fulfilment  of  such  promises.    Their  language  is 
inapplicable  to  David,  who  still  sleeps  the  sleep  of  death. 
He  himself  speaks  of  Jehovah  as  addressing,  not  him  but 
his  Lord,  and  saying :    *  Take  thy  throne  of  power  and 
subdue  all  thy  foes.'     Let  the  Jewish  nation,  then,  be  Hence  Jesui 
assured  that  God   has  reversed  their  verdict  and   pro- [a- 36)    "*' 
claimed  him  whom  they  sought  to  destroy  to  be  the 
Messianic  king. 

"  You  ask  what  God  requires  of  you.     I  answer  that  he  The  practi- 
requires  you  to  repent  and  to  be  baptized  in  token  of  your  SnT^Re- 
discipleship  to  Christ,  and  your  consecration  to  a  holy  g^J^^^** 
life  ;  and  he  will  bestow  his  Spirit  upon  you.    This  is  your  (2 :  37-39) 
privilege,   for  God's  promise  of  salvation  through   the 
Messiah  is  for  you  Jews  and  your  descendants,  as  well  as 
for  the  Gentiles.     It  is  available  for  all  whom  God  in  his 
love  has  summoned  to  participate  in  his  kingdom. " 

3.    The  Address  in  the  Temple-porch  after  the  Healing 
of  the  Lame  Man  (Acts  3  :  12-26) 

One  of  the  notable  "  signs  "  wrought  by  Peter  was  the 
healing  of  a  man  who  had  been  for  forty  years  a  helpless 
cripple.    The  sight  of  this  well-known  man,  given  the  free 
45 


Peter's  Addresses  The  Messages 

use  of  his  limbs,  created  an  intense  excitement  among 
the  people,  who  crowded  into  the  temple  to  gaze  at  the 
apostles.  Peter  seized  upon  this  opportunity  for  preaching. 
The  divine  «'  Why  are  you  surprised,  my  countrymen,  at  the  mira- 
Je^Ythe  cle  which  you  have  witnessed  ?  Why  do  you  regard  us 
Stiorof The  with  such  wonder  and  awe  as  though  by  any  power  inhering 
miracle        jj^  ^g  ^g  j^^^j  cured  this  lame  man  ?     No  ;  it  is  the  work  of 

(3  :  la-io) 

the  God  of  our  forefathers,  who  has  exalted  to  supreme 
power  and  glory  his  Servant  Jesus.  You,  indeed,  sought  to 
destroy  him,  and  even  when  Pilate  would  have  acquitted 
him,  insisted  upon  his  being  put  to  death.  You  condemned 
God's  chosen  and  consecrated  Messiah  and  demanded 
the  release  of  a  criminal  instead ;  you  put  to  death  him 
who  came  to  bestow  life ;  but  your  intention  failed  of  its 
goal;  God  defeated  your  wicked  purpose  by  raising 
Jesus  from  the  dead — a  fact  to  which  we  apostles  can 
testify  from  personal  knowledge.  It  is  through  the  power 
of  the  risen  Christ  and  through  dependence  upon  him  that 
this  wonderful  cure  which  you  have  all  witnessed  was 
The  murder-  wrought.  Now,  I  know,  fellow-Israelites,  that  you,  under 
the  ?ui?rs  an  ^^  leadership  of  your  rulers,  put  Jesus  to  death  because 
unwitting     you  did  uot  rccoguizc  him  as  the   Messiah.      Thus  in 

fulfilment  of -'  ,  ,.      ,  n      r    i/^ti-  ^u  u 

prophecy     your  blmducss  you  were  really  fulnllmg  the  prophecies 
^j:  Vv%3^i5)  which  depict  God's  Servant  as  suffering  and  dying. 

"  Repent  now  of  this  great  sin  and  turn  unto  God  that 
you  may  obtain  his  forgiveness  and  that  you  may  be  pre- 
pared to  enjoy  the  rich  blessings  which  he  is  about  to 
46 


of  the  Apostles  Peter's  Addresses 

bestow  upon  his  people ;  be  ready,  I  say,  that  you  may  a  prompt 
hasten    the    coming  of    the    Messiah   who   is    divinely  wSfoSafn 
destined  to  save  you.     For  a  time,  indeed,  he  must  tarry  thlough" 
in  heaven,  but  at  length  he  will  appear  to  bring  in  the  Jj^us  the 
blessed  consummation  which  has  been  foretold  by  divinely  whom  the 
inspired  prophets  throughout  all  the  ages.     Of  this  Saviour  have  fo?e- 
Moses  already  spoke,  when  he  declared  that,  as  God  had  ^g)^  ^^  '  ^'" 
raised  him  up  as  Israel's  deliverer,  so  the  Lord  would  also 
bring  forth  from  the  Jewish  nation  a  great  Prophet  who 
should  command  the  obedience  of  the  race,  and  that 
those  who  refused  to  receive  his  word  should  be  ruthlessly 
cut  off  from  the  people  of  God.     The  entire  prophetic 
order  from  Samuel  down  have  borne  a  similar  testimony. 
Give  heed  to  their  message — you  who  are  their  descend- 
ants and  the  heirs  of  God's  ancient  promise,  in  which  he 
declared  that  through  the  Jewish  people  he  would  bless 
all  mankind.     This  promised  blessing  is  now,  first  of  all, 
proffered  to  you  in  that  God  has  sent  to  you  his  Messiah, 
attesting  his  mission  by  raising  him  from  the  dead  and 
offering  you  through  him,  deliverance  from  all  your  sins." 

4.   The  Address  before  the  Priests  and  Rulers 
(Acts  4  :  8-12) 

On  the  following  day  in  the  presence  of  the  impressive 
Sanhedrin  Peter  showed  by  his  bold  and  pointed  words 
how  far  removed  he  was  from  the  timid  apostle  of  a  few 
weeks  before. 

47 


Peter's  Addresses  The  Messages 

The  apos-  "  You  ask,  O  leaders  and  guides  of  the  Jewish  people,  by 
tion  fispea-  whose  aid  and  authority  we  have  healed  this  lame  man  of 
Lour?e*^of  his  infirmity.  I  will  answer  you.  I  declare  to  you  and  to 
his  miracu-   ^hg  whole  Tewish  nation  that  we  performed  the  miracle  by 

lous  power  •'  ^  •' 

(4 :  8-10)      the  power  of  Jesus  the  Nazarene,  whom  you,  thinking  to 

destroy,   put   to  death  on  a  cross.      But  your    purpose 

failed,  for  God  brought  him  forth  from  the  grave,  and,  as 

a  witness  to  his  power,  this  man  now  stands  here  before 

you  cured. 

Jesus  the         "  This  Jesus,  whom  you  Jews  rejected  and  despised,  God 

and  Saviour  has  approved  and  attested  as  the  Head  and  Founder  of  his 

(4  .  ",  12)    ijij^g(jom.     In  him  alone  is  the  Messianic  salvation,  for 

which  you  have  been  watching  and  waiting,  to  be  found ; 

he,  and  he  alone,  is  the  divinely  sent  Messiah  and  Saviour 

of  the  nation." 

5.   The  Answer  to  the  Threats  of  the  High-priest 
(Acts  5  :  29-32) 

The  Sadducees,  enraged  at  their  temerity  in  preaching 

the  resurrection  within  the  very  temple  precincts,  and  per- 
haps jealous  at  their  success,  again  arrested  the  apostles. 
Delivered  from  prison  they  continued  to  preach  publicly. 
When  finally  brought  before  the  Sanhedrin  and  charged 
with  disobedience,  Peter  declared  their  position. 

"  You  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  forbid  us  to  proclaim 
our  message  and  point  out  the  dangers  of  our  action.    All 
in  vain.   We  are  sent  of  God  and  we  shall  speak  his  word, 
48 


of  the  Apostles  Stephen's  Address 

whatever  men  may  forbid  or  command.     We  affirm  that  The  motive 
in  rejecting  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  and  in  putting  him  to  a  stance  of  the 
cruel  and  disgraceful  death  you  were  fighting  against  the  m^e^saee 
God  whom  our  people  from  of  old  have  worshipped.    But  (s  :  29-32) 
your  opposition  was  futile,  for  God  brought  him  up  from 
the  dead,  and  assigning  him  the  seat  of  honor  and  power 
on  his  throne,  has  proclaimed  him  to  be  the  Messiah  and 
the  Saviour  of  his  people  from  their  sins.     To  these  facts 
we  apostles  testify  and  our  witness  is  confirmed  by  the 
working  of  the  divine  Spirit  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  those 
who  receive  Jesus  as  the  Christ." 


IV 

THE     ADDRESS     OF    THE     ALMONER    STEPHEN 

(Acts  7  :  2.53) 

His  enemies  had  accused  Stephen  of  being  hostile  to  the 
Jewish  law  (compare  Acts  6:11,  13,  14);  in  this  address 
he  shows  that  the  Jews  themselves  have  been  faithless  to 
the  divine  law  and  that  they  have  opposed  and  persecuted 
the  prophets  and  teachers  whom  God  gave  them.  Thus 
the  address  becomes  a  counter-accusation. 

"  I  am  charged  with  speaking  contemptuously  of  the 
temple  and  the  law.  Listen,  fellow-Jews  and  members  of 
the  council,  to  my  answer.  Our  God,  Jehovah,  called  our 
49 


Stephen's  Address  The  Messages 

The  divine    forefather,  Abraham,  away  from  his  home  and  his  tribe  in 
Abraham     the  East  and  directed  him  to  repair  to  a  new  country.    He 
f°^?.8)'^°'^  accordingly  left  Chaldasa  and,  after  sojourning  in  Haran 
until  his  father's  death,  came  on,  led  by  the  divine  hand, 
to  this  land  of  ours.     Now  Abraham  obtained  no  per- 
manent home  in  this  country,  although  God  had  said,  *  I 
will  give  it  to  you  and  your  seed '  (though  at  that  time  he 
was  childless).     He  was  further  told  that  his  descendants 
should  be  enslaved  to  a  foreign  power  and  suffer  hard- 
ships for  four  hundred  years.     Jehovah  also  declared  that 
he  would  punish  these  oppressors  and  deliver  his  people 
from  their  power.     He  then  ordained  the  rite  of  circum- 
cision as  a  pledge  of  this  promise,  according  to  which  Isaac 
was  born  and  circumcised.     He  became  the  father  of 
Jacob,  and  he,  in  turn,  the  father  of  the  twelve  patriarchs. 
The  history       "  In  their  cnvy  these  sons  of  Jacob  sold  Joseph  to  the 
plo^etn '""  Egyptians.     But  God  blessed  and  protected  and  exalted 
Egypt^         him  to  a  place  of  great  influence  and  power  in  the  king's 
court  and  he  became  the  king's  prime  minister.     At  that 
time  a  great  famine  afflicted  both  Egypt  and  Canaan  and 
the  fathers  of  our  nation  were  without  food.     Now  Jacob, 
hearing  that  a  supply  of  food  could  be  obtained  in  Egypt, 
sent  thither  his  sons  for  this  purpose.     On  their  second 
visit  Joseph  became  known  to  them,  and  the  Egyptian 
king  learned  that  he  was  a  Hebrew.     Thereupon  Joseph 
summoned  from  Canaan  Jacob  and  his  other  relatives — 
seventy-five  in  number — to  come  to  him  in  Egypt.     This 
50 


of  the  Apostles  Stephen's  Address 

they  did,  but  were  borne  back  to  the  land  of  their  fathers 
to  be  buried  in  the  ground  which  their  ancestor  Abraham 
had  bought  of  the  native  inhabitants. 

"  Now  as  time  went  on  the  nation  increased  in  number  Their  op- 
until  a  king  came  into  power  who  did  not  recognize  the  fhrE^p-^ 
services  of  Joseph  to  the  country.     He  dealt  craftily  and  ^}^'^\  _^  . 
cruelly  with  our  people  and  forced  them  to  expose  their 
children  to  death.    At  that  time  Moses  was  born.    He  was  The  youth 
a  beautiful  child  and  was  tenderly  cared  for  by  his  parents  TionofMoTes 
for  three  months.     Then  he  was  exposed  to  die,  and  the  ^^ "  ^""^^^ 
king's  daughter  adopted  and  reared  him  as  her  own .     He 
was  trained  m  all  the  science  of  the  time  and  gave  proof 
of  great  knowledge  and  ability.   When  he  was  about  forty  His  slaugh- 
years  of  age  he  wished  to  visit  the  Hebrew  colony  to  E^ptfa"n 
which  by  birth  he  belonged.     While  doing  so  he  saw  an  Mi^f^^^^  *° 
Egyptian  ill-treating  one  of  his  countrymen  and  he  slew  (7  =  23-29) 
the  offender.     He  thought  that  the  people  would  recog- 
nize in  him  their  destined  deliverer,  but  they  did   not. 
This  was  shown  the  next  day  when  he  found  two  Hebrews 
quarrelling.    He  intervened  to  settle  their  dispute,  remind- 
ing them  that  brothers  should  not  do  one  another  harm. 
Whereupon  the  aggressor  repulsed  him  saying  :  '  What 
authority  have  you  in  our  affairs  ?   Do  you  claim  the  right 
to  kill  me  as  you  killed  that  Egyptian  yesterday  ?  '     At 
this  repulse  Moses  left  his  people  and  dwelt  in  Midian, 
where  two  sons  were  born  to  him.   After  forty  years'  resi- 
dence there  an  angel  appeared  to  him  in  a  burning  bush 

51 


Stephen's  Address  The  Messages 

His  divine    in  the  dcsert  of  Sinai.     As  Moses  in  wonder  approached, 
{iterance  of  he  heard  the  voice  of  Jehovah  saying  :  '  I  am  your  fathers' 
from^E^%  God.'     In  alarm  he  turned  back,  and  the  voice  continued : 
(7 :  3036)     '  Take  off  your  shoes,  for  this  place  is  made  sacred  by  my 
presence.     I  have  seen  the  tears  and  heard  the  cries  of 
my  oppressed  people,  and  I  have  come  to  save  them,  and 
I  have  chosen  you  as  the  instrument  of  their  deliverance.' 
This  man  Moses  whose  services  his  people  had  refused, 
Jehovah  through  his  angel,  who  appeared  m  the  flaming 
bush,  appointed  to  be  the  guide  and  liberator  of  his  peo- 
ple.    Accordingly  he  brought  them  out  of  Egypt,  being 
aided  by  the  miracles  which  God  wrought  for  their  deliver- 
ance before  they  left  the  country,  and  in  the  overthrow  of 
the  king's  army  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  during  the  forty  years' 
pilgrimage  in  the  desert. 
The  people's     "It  was  this  Moses  who  declared  that  God  would  raise 
obey  Moses  up  from  his  pcople  a  great  Prophet  and  Deliverer ;  he  re- 
(7 :  37-43)     ceived  from  Jehovah's  angel  a  divine  commission  to  lead 
the  people ;  through  him  God  spoke  to  the  nation  ;  and 
yet  they  refused  his  leadership  and  authority  and  longed 
to  return  to  Egypt ;  they  renounced  Jehovah  and  wanted 
Aaron  to  make  them  divinities  to  guide  them,  for  they 
would  not  believe  that  Moses,  who  had  brought  them  thus 
far,  could  accomplish  their  deliverance.     Accordingly  they 
made  an  image  of  a  calf,  an  idol  like  those  of  Egypt,  and 
worshipped   and   sacrificed   to   it.     Then  Jehovah  gave 
them  over  to  the  results  of  their  folly  and  they  worshipped 
52 


of  the  Apostles  Stephen's  Address 

the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  illustrating  the  words  of  Amos 
where  he  reproaches  the  people  for  their  idolatry  and 
threatens  them  with  captivity  in  Babjdon  (Amos  5  :  25-27). 

"  At  Sinai  the  people  built  the  tabernacle  according  to  the  The  Jews' 
plan  which  Jehovah  revealed  to  Moses.     This  tent  of  [heir  divine- 
meeting  they  brought  into  the  promised  land,  from  which  g^/JJ^Jj '^*'^* 
God  expelled  their  enemies,  and  retained  until  David  the  teachers 
friend  of  God  desired  to  build  for  his  worship  a  more  per- 
manent abode.     It  was  Solomon  who  carried  this  purpose 
into  effect.     But  Jehovah  does  not  dwell  in  temples,  for, 
as  the  prophet  says,  he  inhabits  heaven  ;  his  presence  is 
not  Umited  to  any  place.    You  obstmate  Jews  are  always 
refusing  to  hear  the  voice  of  God  ;  you  are  now  only  do- 
ing what  your  fathers  did  before  you.     What  prophet  of 
God  ever  escaped  your  cruelty  ?    Those  who  have  foretold 
the  Messiah's  coming  you  have  slain  :  you  are  the  mur- 
derers of  God's  messengers — you  who  received  God's  law 
from  heaven,  only  to  disregard  and  disobey  it." 


V 

Peter's  address  to  Cornelius  (Acts  10  :  35-43) 

The  conversion  of  the  Roman  centurion,  Cornelius, 
impressively  illustrates  the  extension  of  the  gospel  to  the 
heathen.     It  was  one  of  the  circumstances  in  the  divine 

53 


Peter's  Addresses  The  Messages 

logic  of  events  which  helped  Peter  to  see  that  God  in  no 
way  limits  his  favor  to  a  single  nation.     The  apostle's  ad- 
dress emphatically  expresses  this  conviction  to  which  he 
had  now  arrived. 
Theimpar-       "  I  now  See  that  God  regards  and  treats  all  men  impar- 
God^  °        tially ;  he  receives,  irrespective  of  their  nationality,  those 
(lo :  34,  35)  ^j^o  reverence  him  and  do  his  will.     He  has  proclaimed 
his  will  to  the  Jewish  nation  through  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
the  Messiah,  whose  authority  extends  to  all  mankind. 
God's  rev-     You  are  acquainted  with  this  revelation   in  the  life  of 
th?'mii?stry  Jesus,  how  from  his  baptism  by  John  his  mission  was 
(lo^^  6^^8)    divinely  attested  by  his  miraculous  and  benevolent  works. 
We  apostles  can  testify  to  these  works,  which  were  per- 
formed among  the  Jewish  people  both  in  the  city  and  in 
the  country ;  but  our  nation,  instead  of  receiving  him, 
put  him  to  a  shameful  death  on  the  cross.     But  by  the 
power  of  God  he  rose  from  the  grave  and  appeared  to 
Christ's       those  who  were  divinely  selected  to  attest  his  resurrection, 
resurrection  that  is,  to  US  who  associated  with  him  after  he  rose  from 
(lo :  39-41)    ^j^g  dead.     He  then  charged  us  to  proclaim  his  gospel  to 
the  nation  and  to  tell  them  that  God  had  made  him  Judge 
The  Mes-     of  all  mankind.     He  is  the  Messiah  whom  the  prophets 
Judge  and    forctold ;  hc  is  the  promised  Saviour  who  grants  to  all 
(10T4"',  43)  who  receive  him  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins." 


54 


of  the  Apostles  Peter's  Addresses 

VI 

Peter's  defence  before  the  judaizers 
(Acts  II  :  5-17) 

The  news  that  Peter  had  not  merely  preached  to  a  Gen- 
tile household  and  baptized  its  members,  but  had  even 
associated  with  them  as  Christian  brethren,  gave  a  great 
shock  to  the  conservatively  minded  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian community  at  Jerusalem,  who  did  not  dream,  as  yet, 
that  Christianity  would  be  other  than  a  modified  Juda- 
ism. In  answer  to  their  challenge  Peter  thus  defended 
his  action. 

*'  You  criticise  me  for  associating  with  the  Gentile  con-  The  vision 
verts.     I  have  had  an  experience  which  has  taught  me  taught  Petec 
that  this  course  is  right.     Listen  to  the  story:    While Jfrl^Jds 
praying  at  Joppa  I  saw  in  a  vision  a  great  collection  of  ^'sttnctloii^ 
animals  of  many  kinds  and  was  bidden  to  kill  such  as  I  (n :  5-10) 
wanted  for  food .     I  replied  that  I  could  not  eat  the  meat 
of  animals  which  are  forbidden  to  us  in  the  ceremonial 
law.     To  this  the  heavenly  voice  answered,  *  God  takes 
no  account  of  such   distinctions.'     This  happened  yet 
again  and  then  the  vision  vanished . 

"  Directly  after  this  experience,  appeared  three  messen-  The  mes- 
gers  from  Caesarea  to  ask  me  to  go  thither.     I  was  con-  corneiuls 
strained  to  go  with  them  without  scruple.     Accordingly  ^"  '  ""^'^^ 
we  all,  six  of  us,  went  to  the  house  of  Cornelius  (who  had 

55 


Peter's  Addresses  The  Messages 

sent  the  men),  and  he  told  us  how  he  had  been  moved  by 

a  vision  to  send  to  Joppa  for  me  that  I  might  show  him 

The  sal-       and  his  household  the  way  of  salvation.     As  I  commenced 

heathen  *    to  tell  him  the  way  of  life  the  power  of  the  Spirit  came  upon 

OiTivi?)    "^  ^^  ^^  ^^  Pentecost,  reminding  me  of  the  promise  of  Jesus 

to  baptize  his  disciples  with  the  Holy  Spirit.    Since  it  was 

evident  from  these  events  that  God  had  sent  the  blessings 

of  salvation  to  this  Gentile  household,  how  could  I  refuse 

to  recognize  his  precious  purpose  to  extend  his  saving 

mercy  to  all  mankind  ?  " 


VII 


THE    ADDRESS    OF     PETER    AT     THE    APOSTOLIC 

COUNCIL  (Acts  15  ;  7-1 1) 

The  success  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  during  the  first  mis- 
sionary journey  in  forming  prosperous  churches,  many  of 
whose  members  were  Gentiles,  aroused  to  activity  the 
stricter  section  of  the  church  in  Judea.  Representatives 
from  Jerusalem  began  to  appear  at  Antioch  to  urge  that 
the  only  door  to  Christianity  was  fidelity  to  the  usages  of 
Judaism.  The  question  was  a  vital  one.  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabas went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  argue  it.  They  found  sup- 
port, as  timely  as  it  was,  perhaps,  unexpected,  from  Peter 
and  from  James.     Peter  appealed  to  his  experience. 

"  You  remember,  fellow-believers,  that  I  was  the  one 

56 


of  the  Apostles  Peter's  Addresses 

who,   in   the  early  days  of  our  preaching,  was  divinely  The  observ- 
appointed  to   proclaim  the  message   of  salvation   to  the  Jewish  law 
heathen.     God,  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  approved  the  work  "a' "^s^^cg 
and  gave  it  success  by  pouring  out  his  Spirit  upon  them  as  God  gra- 
bountifully  as  upon  us  Jews.     On  all  who  accepted  the  saves  all 
Messiah — whatever    their  nationality — he   bestowed    the  through 
blessings  of  his  forgiveness.     How  contrary,  then,  would  [ic^.xi) 
it  be  to  the  indications  of  his  providence  for  us  to  require 
the  Gentile  converts  to  observe  the  requirements  of  our 
Jewish   law — a   requirement   which   we   Jews  even  have 
always  found  an  oppressive  and  burdensome  task.     No  ; 
let  us  make  no  such  demand,  since  we  have  learned  that 
Jews  and  Gentiles  alike  are  saved  by  virtue  of  God's  love 
revealed  through  Jesus  Christ." 


VIII 

THE    ADDRESS   OF   JAMES   AT    THE    APOSTOLIC 

COUNCIL  (Acts  15  :  13-21) 

At  the  same  time  James,  the  recognized  head  of  the 
Jerusalem  Christians,  threw  his  great  influence  on  the  side 
of  generosity  and  moderation. 

"  Let  me  give  my  opinion,  Christian  brothers,  concern- 
ing the  question  under  discussion.  Peter  has  told  you 
how  God  has  opened  the  doors  of  his  kingdom  to  the 
57 


James's  Address 


God's  gra- 
cious pur- 
pose toward 
the  Gen- 
tiles 
(15:13-18) 

The  only 
conditions 
which 
should  be 
imposed 
upon  the 
heathen 
converts 
(15  :  19-21) 


Gentile  world  and  called  them  to  share  in  the  blessings  of 
his  salvation.  All  this  accords  with  the  picture  which 
the  prophet  draws  of  the  restoration  of  Israel  to  prosper- 
ity and  peace  and  of  the  proclamation  of  his  loving  pur- 
pose to  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth.  I  give  it,  then,  as 
my  opinion  that  we  ought  not  to  impose  our  Jewish  law 
upon  the  Gentile  converts,  but  that  we  should  send  them 
a  message  asking  them  to  refrain  from  practices  which  are 
corrupting  or  which  give  special  offence,  such  as,  idol- 
worship,  social  impurity,  and  the  eating  of  the  meat  of 
animals  in  which  the  blood  still  remains.  Such  absti- 
nence is  essential  to  harmony  and  peace,  since  the  Mosaic 
law  which  forbids  the  practices  which  I  have  named,  is 
still  read  and  enjoined,  as  of  old,  in  all  the  synagogues 
every  sabbath  day." 


58 


THE   EPISTLE  OF  JAMES 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   JAMES 


THE   CHARACTERISTICS    AND   CONTENTS   OF    THE 
EPISTLE 

The  Epistle  of  James  is  a  practical  homily  on  Christian 
life  and  duty.  It  has  been  appropriately  called  "  the 
Christian  Book  of  Proverbs."  It  was  addressed  to  a 
group  of  believers  who  belonged  to  the  humbler  classes 
and  who  were  suffering  many  hardships  at  the  hands  of 
their  richer  fellow-countrymen.  It  is  a  message  of  com- 
fort, encouragement,  and  exhortation.  It  is  almost  devoid 
of  doctrinal  teaching  in  the  technical  sense  of  that  term. 
In  style  and  contents  it  resembles  more  the  practical  in- 
struction of  Jesus  concerning  the  true  motives  of  conduct 
than  it  does  the  more  elaborate  and  controversial  reason- 
ing of  Paul  upon  the  method  and  conditions  of  salvation. 

The  author  writes  to  encourage  his  readers  to  endure 
with  patience  the  trials  and  persecutions  to  which  they  are 
subject  and  to  warn  them  against  such  sins  as  covetous- 
ness,  worldliness,  and  the  unrestrained  use  of  the  tongue. 
Thus  the  epistle  is  an  example  of  "  applied  Christianity." 
6i 


James  The  Messages 

It  has  no  formal  logical  plan.     In  its  style  it  is  simple  but 
lively  and  vigorous. 

A  more  detailed  statement  of  the  contents  of  the  epis- 
tle would  be  as  follows :  After  a  brief  salutation  (i  :  i) 
the  author  takes  up  the  subject  of  temptation  and  shows 
that  moral  trials  will  prove  wholesome  if  they  are  patiently 
and  prayerfully  endured,  but  that  temptation  in  the  sense 
of  enticement  to  sin  proceeds  from  men's  own  evil  desires 
and  not  from  God,  from  whom  only  good  can  come 
(I  :  2-18).  Next,  he  warns  his  readers  to  be  doers  of  the 
divine  word  by  repressing  anger,  controlling  the  tongue, 
and  exercising  benevolence  (i  :  19-27).  He  then  shows 
that  the  oppression  of  the  poor  and  servility  toward  the 
rich  is  contrary  to  the  Christian  law  (2  :  1-13),  which  de- 
mands deeds  of  kindness  and  helpfulness  and  not  a  mere 
profession  of  belief  (2  :  14-26).  He  next  warns  his 
readers  against  the  unbridled  use  of  the  tongue  (3:1-12), 
and  against  such  sins  as  anger,  jealousy,  factiousness, 
worldliness,  and  evil  speaking  (3  :  13  to  4  :  12),  admon- 
ishes them  to  form  their  plans  subject  to  God's  will 
(4  :  13-17),  inveighs  against  the  hardness  of  the  rich,  and 
comforts  the  poor  by  the  hope  of  the  Lord's  speedy  ad- 
vent (5  :  i-ii).  The  epistle  closes  with  a  group  of  exhor- 
tations and  advices  regarding  oaths,  prayers,  confession, 
and  the  treatment  of  the  sick  and  erring  (5  :  12-20). 


62 


of  the  Apostles  James 


II 


THE    AUTHORSHIP,    DATE,    AND    DESTINATION    OF 
THE    EPISTLE 

Beyond  mentioning  his  name  (i  :  i)  the  writer  gives 
us  no  personal  information  concerning  himself.  He  des- 
ignates himself  by  the  indefinite  expression  "  a  servant  of 
Jesus  Christ "  and  addresses  his  message  to  "  the  twelve 
tribes  of  the  Dispersion  "  (i  :  i) ;  but  these  terms  throw 
no  clear  light  upon  his  identity.  Nor  does  ecclesiastical 
tradition  greatly  help  us  here.  It  is  not  probable  that 
either  of  the  two  primitive  apostles  who  bore  the  name  of 
James  was  the  writer  of  the  letter.  We  hear  nothing  of 
James  the  son  of  Alphasus  after  Acts  1:13,  and  James 
the  son  of  Zebedee  was  early  put  to  death  (Acts  12  :  2). 
Of  the  Jameses  who  are  known  to  us  from  the  New  Testa- 
ment there  remains  "James  the  Lord's  brother  "whom 
Paul  reckons  among  the  "pillar  apostles"  (Gal.  i  :  19; 
2:9;  compare  i  Cor.  15  :  7),  and  who  is  known  in  early 
tradition  as  the  bishop  of  the  church  in  Jerusalem.  That 
he  was  the  writer  of  the  epistle  is  favored  by  the  following 
considerations:  (i)  The  epistle  has  many  points  of  re- 
semblance to  the  teaching  of  Jesus  and  was  probably 
composed  by  someone  who  was  personally  familiar  with 
that  teaching.  (2)  The  epistle  reflects  the  practical  and 
conservative  temper  which  from  other  New  Testament 

63 


James  The  Messages 

sources  {e.g..  Acts  15)  we  know  to  have  been  character- 
istic of  James.  (3)  The  relation  of  James  to  primitive 
Jewish  Christianity  was  such  as  to  make  the  sending  of 
such  a  message  to  his  suffering  brethren  most  natural. 
This  view  involves  the  relatively  early  date  of  the  letter. 

Many  critics,  on  the  contrary,  are  of  the  opinion  that 
the  epistle  cannot  have  been  written  by  James  the  Lord's 
brother.  The  principal  reasons  given  for  this  view  are : 
(i)  A  carpenter's  son  would  not  have  the  necessary  com- 
mand of  the  Greek  language.  (2)  James  was  a  strict 
legalist  (Gal.  2  :  12)  and  could  not  have  gloried  in  the 
"law  of  liberty"  and  omitted  all  consideration  of  the 
Jewish  cultus,  as  our  author  does  ;  and  (3)  the  discussion 
of  faith  and  works  (2  :  14-26)  not  only  presupposed  Paul's 
teaching  but  implied  the  long-continued  prevalence  of 
error  on  the  subject  of  justification  which  the  author  is 
concerned  to  refute. 

With  the  question  of  authorship  is  directly  involved  the 
questions  of  the  date  and  destination  of  the  letter.  In 
favor  of  an  early  date  (A.D.  40-50)  the  following  consider- 
ations are  adduced  :  (i)  The  echoes  of  the  teachings  of 
Jesus,  already  mentioned  (compare,  e.g.,  i  :  5-8  with 
Matt.  6  :  24,  25  ;  i  :  6-8  with  Matt.  6  :  19  ff. ;  4:1-5  with 
Matt.  5  :  43-48) ;  (2)  The  absence  of  all  discussion  upon 
the  questions  involved  in  the  relation  of  Christianity  to 
Judaism  ;  (3)  The  appeal  to  the  hope  of  the  Lord's  speedy 
coming,  which  was  characteristic  of  primitive  Christianity ; 
64 


of  the  Apostles  James 

(4)  The  simple  and  primitive  point  of  view  from  which 
the  subject  of  justification  is  regarded,  the  question  of  sal- 
vation by  deeds  of  the  law,  which  was  raised  to  such 
prominence  by  Paul,  receiving  no  consideration  here.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  argued  that  the  epistle  must  be  late 
(about  A.D.  125)  because  (i)  the  fact  last  mentioned  shows 
that  the  Pauline  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  alone  had 
led  to  the  grave  practical  error  that  salvation  was  condi- 
tioned upon  mere  belief,  and  (2)  such  a  misunderstanding 
of  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  could  hardly  have 
arisen  in  the  apostolic  age,  especially  in  Jerusalem.  (3) 
The  extreme  worldliness  inveighed  against,  the  ambition 
to  become  teachers,  and  the  infrequent  mention  of  the 
name  of  Jesus,  are  thought  by  some  to  favor  a  late  date. 
(4)  Attention  is  called  to  the  weak  external  attestation  of 
the  epistle.  Eusebius  (about  A.D.  325)  places  it  among 
the  "  disputed  "  books  ;  it  is  not  in  the  Muratorian  canon, 
nor  is  it  quoted  by  Tertullian.  Origen  is  the  first  who 
mentions  it  by  name.  Although  it  was  incorporated  into 
the  Syriac  version  of  the  New  Testament  about  A.D.  150, 
it  did  not  gain  general  acceptance  in  the  church  until 
about  A.D.  400,  and  at  no  time  do  we  find  a  clear  and 
definite  view  respecting  its  authorship. 
^^  To  whom  was  the  letter  addressed  }  The  usual  view 
is,  to  Jewish  Christians  outside  Palestine.  We  know  from 
the  Book  of  Acts  (8:1)  that  in  consequence  of  persecu- 
tion many  Palestinian  Christians  left  Jerusalem  and  that 

6s 


James  The  Messages 

their  preaching  was  instrumental  in  founding  Christian 
congregations  in  Antioch  in  Syria,  Cyprus  and  other 
places  (Acts  ii  :  19-22).  That  the  readers  were  profess- 
ing Christians  is  everywhere  presupposed  in  the  epistle 
(i  :  18,  21 ;  2  :  I  ;  5  :  17).  Some  modern  critics,  however, 
hold  that  the  readers  could  not  have  been  Jewish  Chris- 
tians and  that  "  the  twelve  tribes "  must  be  understood 
figuratively.  In  proof  of  this  view  it  is  said  that  the  gen- 
eral term  used  to  describe  the  readers  of  the  epistle  does 
not  agree  with  the  supposition  that  the  persons  addressed 
were  Jewish,  that  "  synagogue  "  (2  :  2)  is  merely  a  name  for 
the  congregation,  or  its  place  of  meeting,  and  that  the 
regular  church  organization  which  the  epistle  presupposes, 
did  not  exist  in  purely  Jewish  congregations. 

Every  unprejudiced  student  must  feel  the  difficulty  of 
deciding  upon  these  questions  of  authorship,  date,  and  des- 
tination in  view  of  the  want  of  all  positive  evidence  bearing 
upon  them.  All  answers  of  these  questions  must,  in  the 
present  state  of  our  knowledge,  be  conjectural  and  pro- 
visional. To  me  it  seems  probable  that  the  epistle  is  pre- 
Pauline  and  that  its  author  was  James,  the  Lord's  brother ; 
but  I  hold  this  opinion  with  full  appreciation  of  the  diffi- 
culties which  it  involves  and  with  full  recognition  of  the 
force  of  some  of  the  arguments  for  a  late  date.  In  any 
case  we  have  in  our  epistle  a  simple,  untechnical  presenta- 
tion of  Christian  teaching,  a  book  of-  practical  Christian 
"  wisdom  "  which  is  closely  kindred  in  spirit  to  many  of 
66 


of  the  Apostles  James 

the  ethical  maxims  of  Jesus  which  have  been  preserved  in 
our  synoptic  tradition. 


Ill 


THE    TEACHING    OF     JAMES   AND    PAUL     REGARDING 
JUSTIFICATION 

There  is  an  apparent  contradiction  between  the  teach- 
ing of  Paul  that  men  are  saved  on  condition  of  faith,  apart 
from  works  (Gal.  2  :  i6),  and  that  of  James  that  faith 
without  works  is  dead  and  powerless  to  save  (2  :  14,  24, 
26),  but  it  is  only  apparent,  since  the  two  writers  use  both 
the  wcM-ds  "  faith  "  and  "  works  "  in  different  senses.  By 
faith  Paul  means  vital  union  with  Christ  involving  obedi- 
ence and  love ;  by  faith  James  means  mere  theoretic  be- 
lief. There  is  no  contradiction  between  the  statements  : 
(i)  Men  are  saved  by  entering  into  the  life  of  fellowship 
with  Christ  (so  Paul),  and  (2)  men  are  not  saved  by  cor- 
rect opinions  (so  James).  But  the  two  writers  do  not 
mean  the  same  by  "works."  With  Paul  this  word 
means  deeds  of  obedience  to  the  Mosaic  law  (such  as  cir- 
cumcision) regarded  as  meritorious  and  entitling  the  doer 
to  salvation  ;  with  James  "  works  "  means  deeds  of  kind- 
ness, charity,  and  love,  the  fruit  of  a  living  faith  in  Christ. 
There  is  no  contradiction  between  the  statements  :  (i) 
Men  cannot  earn  salvation  by  meritorious  acts  (so  Paul) 

67 


James  i :  i  The  Messages 

and  (2)  men  cannot  be  saved  without  cultivating  the  life 
of  Christ-like  love  and  service  (so  James).  The  two 
writers  may  be  compared  to  two  trains  which  are,  indeed, 
running  in  different  directions,  but  which  are  in  no  dan- 
ger of  colliding,  since  they  are  not  running  upon  the  same 
track.  Both  apostles  in  their  positive  arguments  in  dif- 
ferent terms  teach  the  same  truth,  that  true  faith  "  works 
through  love  "  (Gal.  5:6),  that  is,  is  an  active  and  en- 
ergetic principle  expressing  itself  in  deeds  and  services 
and  issuing  in  the  practical  "  fruit  of  the  Spirit "  (Gal. 
5 :  22). 

IV 

THE    MESSAGE    OF    JAMES 

I.   Encouragement  to  Christian  Fidelity  (i  :  i-ii) 
The  greet-       James,  a  Servant  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

ing(i  :  i)  •'  •'  * 

sends  his  greetings  to  the  Jewish-Christians  who  are 
scattered  abroad. 


i 

(i  :  2.4) 


Moral  test-       Dq  not  grieve,  my  brothers,  but  be  glad  when  you  are 

ing  a  reason        ,  q  j 

for  joy  ^  subjected  to  various  moral  trials;  for  the  testmg  of  your 
fidelity  develops  perseverance.  Perseverance  should  be 
allowed  to  reach  its  perfect  development  in  you,  that  you 
may  be  strong  and  mature  in  the  Christian  life. 

When  any  one  of  you  feels  the  need  of  spiritual  guidance 
let  him  seek  it  from  God  who  freely  and  generously  gives 
68 


of  the  Apostles  James  i  :  i8 

his  divine  aid ;  it  surely  will  not  be  withheld.     But  the  Faith  and 
seeker  must  ask  in    confidence  and  with  an  undivided  of  heart  the 
heart ;  for  he  who  is  divided  in  his  interest  between  earth-  of"obtah?ing 
ly  and  heavenly  good  is  as  fickle  and  inconstant  as  the  ^^g^om^ 
waves  of  the  sea  in  a  storm.     Such  a  man,  half  Christian  (i  =  5-8) 
and  half  worldling,  need  not  think  that  he  will  obtain 
from  God  what  he  asks. 

The  humble  believer  should  rejoice  in  his  exaltation  as  The  poor 
a  child  of  God,  and  the  rich  Christian  should  be  glad  to  need  not 
humble  himself  and  serve  others ;  for  his  riches  are  as  rich?" 
fleeting  as  the  field-blossoms  which  quickly  wither  and  ^*  •  9*"^ 
die  in  the  sun  and  wind  and  their  beauty  is  gone  forever ; 
so  perishable  are  earthly  treasures. 

2.   The  Real  Source  of  Tetnptatton  to  Evil  (i  :  12-18) 

Happy  is  the  man  who  gains  the  victory  over  evil  when  Enticement 
he  is  enticed  by  it ;  for  when  his  moral  testing  is  com-  fJorn'ood 
plete  he  shall  win  the  heavenly  blessedness  which  belongs  ^"a n^s°(wn 
to  the  sons  of  God.     But  let  no  man  suppose  that  God  evil  p^assiong 
entices  anyone  to  evil,  for  he  can  neither  himself  be  fav- 
orably disposed  toward  what  is  wrong,  nor  can  he  dispose 
others  toward  it.     Allurements  to  sin  are  due  to  man's 
own  evil  desires.     These  desires  produce  sin,  and  the  sin 
when  it  runs  its  full  course  ends  in  moral  death.     Make 
no  mistake  on  this  point,  my  dear  brothers.     God,  the 
Source  of  all  light  and  truth,  is  the  Giver  of  all  good 
things  ;  no  evil  comes  from  him  ;  he  is  a  Sun  whose  per- 
69 


James  i :  19  The  Messages 

feet  light  suffers  no  eclipse  ;  and  he  has  brought  us  into 
the  life  of  holiness  and  truth  as  the  beginning  and  pledge 
of  a  large  ingathering  into  his  kingdom. 

3.    The  Doing  of  the   Word  (i  :  19-27) 

A  lesson  in  I  am  telling  you  no  unfamiliar  truth.  Be  eager  in  re- 
nTssI'^^imil-  ceiving  Christian  instruction,  cautious  in  the  use  of  the 
c?ntr"f  ''^^*  tongue  and  in  the  indulgence  of  anger,  for  angry  passion 
(1 :  19-21)  jg  j^Qt  a  help  but  a  hindrance  to  the  Christian  life.  Re- 
nounce, therefore,  all  the  evil  and  corruption  which  so 
abound  in  the  world,  and  in  a  quiet  and  gentle  spirit  nurt- 
Religion  re-  urc  the  saviug  truth  which  has  been  taught  you.  But 
m"e're  hear*  this  truth  is  uot  merely  something  to  be  heard,  but  some- 
ing  but  a      thine  to  be  done.     He  who  merely  hears  the  truth  with- 

doing  of  the  *>  ,         ,       ,  ■  •  r  .  u    ^ 

truth  out  puttmg  what  he  hears  mto  practice  soon  forgets  what 

(1 :  22-25)     ^^  ^^^  heard— like  one  who  turns  away  from  a  mirror  and 

thinks  no  more  of  the  likeness  which  he  has  seen.     But 

when  one  reads  his  duty  in  the  spiritual  law  of  Christ  and 

faithfully  perseveres  in  obedience  to  it,  his  effort  shall  not 

Self-control,  fail  of  its  reward.    Self-deceived  is  the  man  who  imagines 

Ind  p^i'Iify    that  he  is  a  Christian  but  puts  no  restraint  upon  his 

the  marks  of  tong-ue      A  truc  piety  in  the  sight  of  God  is  illustrated  by 

true  religion  "^"S  r/  ,,:,,  .,  u     - 

(i :  26, 27)    kindness  and  charity  to  the  friendless  and  the  sunermg 
and  by  purity  from  the  evils  of  the  world. 


70 


of  the  Apostles  James  2 :  10 

4.  A  Warning  against  Partiality  in  the  Treatment  of 
the  Rich  (2  :  1-13) 

Do  not  attempt,  my  brothers,  to  combine  devotion  to  Favoritism 

^,     .  ,  ,  ...  ,  ,^       ..,  to  the  nch 

Christ  with  partiahty  toward  men.     To  illustrate  what  I  and  disre- 
mean  :  Suppose  a  rich  man  in  fine  clothing  and  jewels  poo? con-  * 
comes  into  your  assembly  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  poor  chmtSn^* 
man,  miserably  clad,  comes  in.     Now,  if  you  show  spe-  '^^  (2 :  1-9) 
cial  deference  to  the  finely  dressed  man  and  give  him  the 
best  seat,  and  send  the  poor  man  to  the  meanest  place, 
are  you  not,  in  making  such  discriminations,  showing  the 
partiality  which  the  Christian  law  forbids  ?     Reflect,  my 
brothers,  how  God  has  reversed  human  conditions  and 
made  the  poor  to  be  rich  in  the  blessings  of  his  grace  and 
kingdom.     How  inconsistent  is  it  in  you,  then,  to  set  the 
poor  at  naught.     And  what  reason  have  you  for  showing 
such  honor  to  the  rich  ?     Are  they  not  the  very  class  at 
whose  hands  you  are  suffering  hardships  and  persecution  ? 
Is  it  not  they  who  speak  with  contempt  the  sacred  name 
of  Christ  into  which  you  were  baptized?     If  you  obey 
the  divine  law  which  requires  equal  love  to  all  men,  you 
will  meet  with  God's  approval ;  but  if,  instead,  you  show 
partiality  to  one  class,  as  against  another,  you  will  be  dis- 
approved and  regarded  as  law-breakers. 

For  he  who  breaks  the  law  in  only  one  respect  must  be  The  divine 
regarded  as  a  transgressor  of  the  law  as  a  whole.     For  all  i^divisS)ie"'^ 
the  different  commandments  are  utterances  of  the  one  ^^  '•  ^°"^3) 
7J 


James  2:11  The  Messages 

supreme  Lawgiver.  He  who  forbade  adultery  forbade 
also  murder.  Now  the  adulterer  does  not  escape  the  con- 
demnation of  the  law  because  he  does  not  murder.  Let 
your  speech  and  conduct  become  those  who  are  not  to  be 
tested  by  conformity  to  mere  outward  commandments, 
but  by  an  inner  motive  which  the  heart  cheerfully  obeys. 
For  to  the  merciless  the  divine  judgment  will  be  severe  ; 
but  the  merciful  will  obtain  mercy  and  may  await  the 
divine  judgment  without  fear  or  dread. 

5.  A  Living  and  a  Dead  Faith  Co7itrasied  (2  :  14-26) 
The  futility       How  usclcss  is  it,  my  brothers,  for  a  man  to  possess  a 

of  mere  the-  ,.,,.,,  .^         .       ..  .  .  , 

oretic  belief  faith  which  does  not  manifest  itself  in  works  of  mercy  and 
(a  :  H-'9)  jgyg^  s^^h  a  faith  can  have  no  saving  value.  Suppose, 
for  example,  that  a  believer  should  declare  that  he  pos- 
sessed the  feelings  of  benevolence  and  pity,  and  yet  when 
he  met  with  a  fellow-Christian  who  was  naked  and  hun- 
gry should  merely  express  the  wish  that  his  need  might 
be  supplied,  and  do  nothing  at  all  for  the  relief  of  the 
needy  one.  What  a  valueless  philanthropy  that  would 
be  !  Equally  valueless  is  a  faith  which  does  not  express 
itself  in  deeds  and  services ;  it  has  within  it  no  principle 
of  life  or  movement.  Let  me  put  the  matter  very  clearly. 
Suppose  that  one  who  is  not  a  party  to  this  discussion 
should  meet  the  question  under  consideration.  Suppose 
him  to  meet  a  man  such  as  I  have  described  (v.  14)  who 
professes  to  have  "  faith  "  alone,  and  suppose  this  outsider, 
72 


of  the  Apostles  James  2  :  26 

in  turn,  to  take  up  the  claim  to  possess  "  works."  How, 
now,  will  he  be  likely  to  view  the  relation  of  the  two  prin- 
ciples ?  Will  he  not  say  :  You  claim  to  have  faith ;  give 
me  a  proof  that  you  possess  it  apart  from  works,  if  you 
can.  I,  on  the  other  hand,  will  prove  by  my  works  that 
I  profess  faith  also.  He  might  well  argue  further,  thus : 
You  who  profess  to  have  faith  would  probably  quote  as 
an  example  of  it  your  belief  that  God  is  one.  It  is  a  cor- 
rect opinion  ;  but  I  would  remind  you  that  the  demons 
also  hold  the  same  opinion  and  are  not  the  better  for  it. 
What  folly,  then,  to  claim  that  any  so-called  faith  which 
does  not  lead  to  deeds  of  mercy  and  love  is  useful  or  sav- 
ing. Take  the  typical  Old  Testament  example  of  faith,  Old  Testa- 
that  of  Abraham.  He  is  described  not  merely  as  believ-  proofs  that 
ing,  but  also  as  doing  a  great  act  of  self-sacrifice,  which  an'/ aa'ive"^ 
was  the  fruit  of  his  faith.     For  this  act,  as  well  as  for  the  ^^'^l'  t^,^^' 

ceptable 

faith  which  gave  rise  to  it,  God  approved  him.     God  re-  'o  ^od 

(2  :  20-26) 

quires  not  only  a  right  disposition,  but  also  the  conduct 
which  is  appropriate  to  such  a  disposition.  This  conduct 
is,  indeed,  proof  that  the  right  disposition  exists.  The  two 
belong  inseparably  together.  Where  the  conduct  is  want- 
ing, it  will  be  found  that  the  "  faith  "  which  is  claimed  is 
deficient.  The  example  of  Rahab,  who  was  approved  for 
her  deeds,  also  shows  that  true  faith  is  an  active  principle. 
Thus  we  reach  the  conclusion  that  a  faith  which  does  not 
lead  to  a  good  life  is  the  mere  corpse  of  religion. 

73 


James  3 :  i  The  Messages 

6.   The  Control  of  the  Tongue  (3  :  1-12) 

The  impor-       My  brothers,  be  not  so  eager  as  many  of  you  are,  to 

controuiig    bccomc  teachcrs ;  remember  that  they  assume  a  greater 

the  t^ongue    responsibility  and  are  subject  to  greater  peril  than  others. 

We  are  all  guilty  of  many  errors  ;  but  our  greatest  danger 

lies  in  the  use  of  the  tongue.     He  who  can  control  that 

member  thereby  shows  that  he  has  attained  a  thorough 

self-mastery.    Just  as  the  horseman  controls  and  guides  his 

horse  by  a  mere  bit  and  bridle,  and  as  the  sailor  directs 

his  great  ship  through  wind  and  waves,  by  means  of  a 

small  rudder,  so  do  we  control  our  whole  life  and  conduct 

by  ruling  that  important  and  pretentious  little  member, 

the  tongue.     For  as  a  tiny  spark  can  kindle  a  great  flame, 

so   the   tongue,  if  misused,  can   arouse   and  excite   the 

Difficulty  of  whole  nature.     I  say  that  the  tongue  is  like  a  fire  which 

("'•^6-8)"''^°^  inflames  the  whole  world  of  passion  in  both   soul  and 

body  and  rages  with  its  mad,  devouring  flames  through 

our  entire  being.     All  the  creatures  of  the  earth,  sky,  and 

sea  have  been  subdued,  but  no  one  has  ever  been  able  to 

subdue  that   turbulent   and  deadly   power,   the  tongue. 

Conse-         And  what   contradictions    issue    from   an    uncontrolled 

an^unbridied  tongue :     Prayer   and  praise   to  God,  and  at  the  same 

?onguV^*     time,  curses  upon  our  fellow-men,  made  in  God's  image. 

(3  :  9-12)      How  unreasonable  and  unchristian  !    You  do  not  draw 

both  wholesome  and  impure  water  from  the  same  spring ; 

nor  do  you  take  from  a  tree  fruit  which  is  contrary  to  its 

74. 


of  the  Apostles  James  4 :  4 

nature.     No  more  should   the  tongue  which  confesses 
Christ,  utter  words  which  belie  that  confession. 

7.    True  Christian    Wisdom  (3  :  13-18) 

The  proof  of  a  true  Christian  discretion  and  self-control  The  true 
is  found  in  a  life  of  pure  deeds  and  humility.     The  phi-  false  phi- 
losophy of  selfishness,  on  the  contrary,  is  seen  in  an  envi-  iife°Ln-° 
ous  and  quarrelsome  spirit.     This  is  not  the  heavenly  wis-  T^.^  j*'!j8) 
dom  of  Christ,  but  the  base  device  of  wicked  men  and  evil 
spirits.     For  out  of  such  evil  passions  spring  all  reckless 
and  dishonorable  deeds.     But  Christian  wisdom,  on  the 
contrary,  cultivates  such  qualities  as  goodness,  concord, 
sympathy,  and  benevolence ;  and  they  shall  reap  an  ample 
harvest  of  blessing  who,  in  the  spirit  of  peacemakers,  sow 
the  seeds  of  such  Christian  virtues. 

8.   The  Folly  of  Friendship  with  the   World  (4  :  i-io) 

The  disputes  and  conflicts  in  which  you  are  engaged  The  vanity 
arise  from  the  lower  passions  which  still  hold  sway  within  andTsensuai 
you.     The  satisfaction  which  you  are  seeking  can  never  ?|^^j"?^ 
be  found  in  the  gratification  of  cruel  and  selfish  passions, 
but  only  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God.     In  deserting 
the  divine  law  of  life  and  adopting  the  evil  principles 
which  rule  in  the  wicked  world,  you  have  forfeited  God's 
friendship  and  have  made  yourselves  his  foes.     Will  God 
regard  such  a  course  with  complaisance  ?    Does  he  not, 
as  the  Scripture  says,  jealously  crave  to  have  us  continue 

7S 


James  4 :  5 


The  Messages 


The  con- 
ditions of 
true  happi- 
ness 
(4  :  5- 10) 


Offences 

against 

one's  fel 

men  are 

offences 

against 

God 

(4  :  ".  12) 


Our  times 

are  in  God's 

hand 

(4  :  i3-»7) 


faithful  to  himself  ?  Rich  blessing  flows  from  this  yearn- 
ing love  of  his.  Hence  the  Scripture  speaks  of  God's 
hostility  to  the  self-willed,  and  of  his  favor  to  the  teach- 
able. Be  done,  then,  with  submission  to  sin  and  yield 
your  hearts  unto  God  ;  seek  his  fellowship  and  he  will  be 
with  you  and  bless  you.  Renounce  the  evils  which  defile 
you  and  consecrate  yourselves,  without  reserve,  to  God. 
With  tears  of  penitence  lament  your  sins  and  in  humble 
trust  yield  yourselves  up  to  God's  will,  that  he  may 
ennoble  and  enrich  your  lives. 

9.    Warnings  against  Evil  Speaking  and  Pre- 
sumption (4  :  1 1 -17) 

Avoid  all  denunciation  of  one  another  and  all  harsh 
and  contemptuous  judgments,  for  since  these  are  contrary 
to  the  Christian  law  of  love,  they  arraign  the  law  itself ; 
but  the  Christian  is  a  subject  of  the  law,  not  an  authority 
above  it.  The  almighty  God  alone  is  the  author  and 
giver  of  the  law ;  it  is  our  part  to  obey  it,  and  obedience 
requires  that  we  abstain  from  the  severe  and  censorious 
judgment  of  others. 

Refrain,  also,  from  all  over-confidence  and  presumption 
regarding  the  future.  You  must  not  plan  your  work  as  if 
life  were  certain.  For  how  uncertain  it  is  !  How  quickly 
it  may  end,  as  the  mist  vanishes  before  the  sun.  All  your 
plans  ought,  therefore,  to  be  made  in  dependence  upon 
the  divine  will  and  providence.     Your  boastful  self-suffi- 

76 


of  the  Apostles  James  5:11 

ciency  and  self-confidence  are  wrong — the  more  so  since 
they  are  contrary  to  your  Christian  instruction  and  profes- 
sion and  a  violation  of  what  you  know  to  be  right. 

10,  A    Warning  to  the  Rich  (5  :  1-6) 

I  warn  you  who  are  rich  of  the  perils  which  threaten  The  perils 
you.  Your  riches  are  but  festering  heaps  of  moral  cor-  (5 : 1-6) 
ruption  and  shall  testify  against  you  in  the  judgment. 
The  complaints  against  you  of  the  workmen  whom  you 
have  defrauded  of  their  just  wages  have  been  heard  by  the 
almighty  Ruler  and  Judge.  You  have  lived  in  ease  and 
self-indulgence,  but  like  the  beasts  that  perish,  you  have 
been  fattening  yourselves  for  the  slaughter ;  the  blood  of 
unresisting  just  men  cries  out  for  vengeance  upon  you. 

II.    An  Exhortation  to  Patience  and  Faith    (5  :  7-20) 

Await  the   Lord's  return  to  earth  with  courage  and  The  sad 
hope,  my  brothers.     As  the  farmer  patiently  waits  upon  ing  should 
the  processes  of  nature  until  the  fruit  of  his  labor  is  ma-  JwatrtiTe 
ture,  so  do  you  wait  in  endurance  and  hopefulness,  for  the  Load's  com- 
day  of  the  Lord  will  soon  dawn.     Do  not  incur  the  Lord's 
displeasure  by  censuring  your  fellow-believers,  for  lo,  we 
shall  all  soon  stand  before  Christ's  judgment-seat.     Let 
us  imitate  the  patient  endurance  in  suffering  of  the  Old 
Testament  saints  and  prove,  as  they  did,  that  it  is  the 
purpose  of  God  in  the  midst  of  our  trials  to  show  us  his 
sympathy  and  to  grant  us  his  grace. 
77 


James  5 :  12-20 


Vain 
swearing 
forbidden 
(5  :  ") 


Instruction 
respecting 
prayer 
(5  :  13-18) 


The  recov- 
ery of  the 
erring 
(5  :  19.  20) 


And  be  especially  careful,  my  brothers,  to  avoid  the  vain 
and  irreverent  use  of  oaths  of  all  kinds.  Let  your  simple 
word  be  enough,  for  it  can  only  be  due  to  untruthfulness 
that  an  oath  should  be  thought  necessary  to  confirm  your 
assertions. 

In  your  sorrow  seek  God's  comfort ;  in  your  joy  give 
him  thanks.  Let  the  sick  seek  the  prayers  of  the  over- 
seers of  the  church  on  his  behalf,  and  let  them  solemnly 
consecrate  and  commit  him  to  God,  and  God  shall  save 
him  from  his  sickness  and  his  sins.  Acknowledge  to  one 
another  your  faults  and  pray  together,  on  each  other's 
behalf,  for  God's  forgiveness.  The  prayer  of  a  sincere 
Christian  secures  great  blessing  from  God.  An  example 
is  Elijah.  He  was  a  man  with  faults  and  weaknesses  like 
our  own  ;  yet  we  read  in  the  Scripture  how  he  asked  God 
to  withhold  rain  and  it  was  withheld  for  three  years  and 
a  half ;  and,  again,  he  plead  for  rain  and  it  was  granted, 
and  the  earth  again  yielded  her  harvests. 

Remember  that  when  any  one  of  your  number  goes 
astray  from  the  right  way,  he  who  recovers  such  a  wan- 
derer to  the  Christian  life  and  fellowship  will  save  a  fellow- 
believer  from  moral  destruction  and  win  a  great  victory 
over  the  power  of  evil. 


78 


THE  FIRST   EPISTLE  OF  PETER 


THE    FIRST    EPISTLE   OF    PETER 


THE    CONTENTS    AND    GENERAL    CHARACTER    OF 
THE    EPISTLE 

After  greeting  the  readers,  "  the  elect  sojourners  of  the 
Dispersion"  in  various  provinces  of  Asia  Minor  (i  :  i,  2), 
the  author  gives  thanks  to  God  and  bestows  praise  upon 
the  Christians  addressed  for  the  courageous  and  joyful 
manner  in  which  they  are  enduring  suffering  in  the  cause 
of  Christ  (i  :  3-12).  He  then  solemnly  admonishes  them 
to  abstain  from  the  sins  which  characterized  them  before 
their  conversion  and  to  live  a  holy  life  in  brotherly  love 
and  supreme  devotion  to  Christ  (i  :  13  to  2  :  10).  Next 
follow  various  instructions  concerning  the  relations  of 
the  readers  to  the  heathen,  such  as  the  attitude  to  be  as- 
sumed toward  rulers,  the  obligations  of  servants  to  their 
masters,  and  the  mutual  duties  of  husbands  and  wives 
(2  :  1 1  to  3  :  7).  These  directions  are  followed  by  impas- 
sioned exhortations  to  cultivate  the  Christian  virtues  and, 
especially,  to  imitate  the  example  of  Christ's  suffering  on 
behalf  of  others  (3  :  8  to  4  :  6).  Reminding  his  readers 
81 


I  Peter  The  Messages 

that  the  end  of  the  age  is  near,  the  author  next  exhorts 
them  to  the  faithful  performance  of  the  duties  of  the 
Christian  life,  such  as  prayer  and  loving  service,  to  the 
patient  endurance  of  suffering,  and  to  unshaken  trust  in 
God — the  keynote  of  all  being  this  :  suffer  for  Christ's 
sake  as  he  has  suffered  for  you  (4:7  to  5:11).  The 
epistle  closes  with  various  salutations  and  a  benediction 

(5  :  12-14). 

The  aim  of  the  letter  is  to  confirm  the  readers  in  faith, 
patience,  and  hope  amidst  circumstances  of  great  trial. 
Its  burden  is:  Hold  fast  the  blessed  hope  of  a  speedy 
deliverance  from  your  sorrows  and  sufferings.  The  en- 
couragement which  the  author  constantly  urges  is  that 
since  Christ  has  suffered  for  us,  we  ought  to  be  willing  to 
suffer  for  his  sake,  and  that  the  present  sufferings  of  the 
Christian  will  be  far  outweighed  by  the  heavenly  blessed- 
ness which  is  soon  to  be  his.  Thus  the  theme  of  the  epis- 
tle is,  the  true  Christian  in  suffering.  The  letter  reflects 
a  time  when  to  be  a  Christian  meant  to  brave  contempt 
and  to  endure  hardship.  Its  dominant  thought  is  that  as 
Jesus  passed  through  suffering  to  his  throne  of  power  and 
glory,  so  the  Christian  must  travel  through  the  valley  of 
trial  and  sorrow  on  his  way  to  the  celestial  city;  via 
cruets,  via  lucis. 


82 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter 

II 

THE    PERSONS   ADDRESSED 

The  form  of  the  address :  "  to  the  elect  who  are  sojourn- 
ers of  the  Dispersion  in  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia, 
and  Bithynia"  (i  :  i)  would,  taken  by  itself,  most  natu- 
rally refer  to  the  Jewish  Christians  who  were  scattered 
abroad  throughout  these  provinces  of  Asia  Minor;  and 
this  is  the  more  common  view  of  the  nationality  and  lo- 
cation of  the  readers.  But  this  interpretation  encounters 
some  difficulty  in  the  epistle  itself,  where  they  are  said 
to  have  formerly  lived  "in  ignorance"  and  "darkness" 
(i  :  14 ;  2  :  9),  and  to  have  been,  previous  to  their  con- 
version "  no  people  "  (2  :  10),  but  to  have  now  become  a 
holy  people  for  God's  own  possession  (2  :  9).  These 
expressions  certainly  favor  the  view  that  the  persons  ad- 
dressed were  not  Jewish,  but  Gentile  believers.  In  that 
case,  the  language  of  the  address  would  have  to  be  re- 
garded as  figurative.  Its  meaning  would  be  that  they  were 
"  sojourners  of  the  Dispersion"  in  the  sense  of  being  sur- 
rounded by  unbelievers  (compare  i  :  17;  2  :  11).  Quite 
as  likely  as  either  of  these  opinions  is  the  supposition  that 
the  letter  was  primarily  designed  for  the  Jewish  Christians 
to  whom  the  salutation  seems  to  refer,  but  that  the  circle 
of  readers  included  also  Gentile  converts,  to  whom  the 
language  is,  here  and  there,  adapted.     This  supposition 

83 


I  Peter  The  Messages 

would  be  in  exact  accord  with  what  we  find  to  be  the  fact  in 
the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  where,  although  the  readers 
were  primarily  Gentile  (Rom.  i  :  13),  there  are  several 
passages  which  were  evidently  written  with  the  Jewish 
element  more  particularly  in  mind  (Rom.  4:1;  7:1). 

Ill 

THE    AUTHORSHIP    AND   DATE    OF    THE   EPISTLE 

According  to  tradition,  the  apostle  Peter  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom in  Rome  during  the  Neronian  persecution  in 
A.  D.  67  or  68.  Those  who  hold  the  genuineness  of  the 
epistle  accordingly  assign  it  to  the  period  A.  D.  64-67.' 
The  principal  arguments  for  this  view  of  the  subject  are  as 
follows  :  (i)  The  genuineness  of  the  epistle  was  unques- 
tioned in  the  early  church.  It  is  found  in  the  most 
ancient  versions  of  the  New  Testament,  is  cited  as  an  un- 
disputed book  by  Eusebius  (about  A.  D.  325),  and  is  at- 
tested by  the  church  fathers  from  Papias  and  Polycarp 
onward.  Both  of  these  early  church  fathers  were  hearers 
of  the  apostles,  and  bishops  (of  Hierapolis  and  Smyrna  re- 
spectively) in  the  region  for  which  the  epistle  purports  to 
have  been  destined.  (2)  The  epistle  is  thought  to  con- 
tain reminiscences  of  Peter's  life  and  experience  as  made 

»  Professor  Ramsay,  however,  in  "The  Church  in  the  Roman  Empire" 
(pp.  279-94),  maintains  that  this  tradition  is  not  correct,  that  Peter  hved  on 
to  a  much  later  time,  and  wrote  our  epistle  about  A.  D.  80. 

84 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter 

known  to  us  in  the  New  Testament  elsewhere.  Christ 
applied  to  Peter  the  figurative  term  "  rock  "  (Matt.  i6  :  i8) 
and  Peter  speaks  of  Christ  as  the  "  living  stone  "  on  which 
the  church  is  built  (2  :  4).  The  writer  of  the  epistle  calls 
himself  a  "  witness  "  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  (5  :  i),  as 
in  Peter's  discourse  at  Pentecost  he  had  called  the  apostles 
"  witnesses  "  of  Christ's  resurrection  (Acts  2  :  32).  In  both 
the  Petrine  preaching  and  in  the  epistle  Christ  is  referred  to 
as  the  "  stone  set  at  naught  by  the  builders  "  (Acts  4:11; 

I  Pet.  2  :  7,  8).  In  both  he  is  described  as  having  been 
••  hanged  on  a  tree  "  (Acts  5  :  30 ;  i  Pet.  2  :  24).  (3)  The 
contents  of  the  letter  correspond  to  the  contents  of  Peter's 
preaching  as  reported  in  Acts.  We  find  the  same  recog- 
nition of  the  equality  of  heathen  and  Jewish  converts 
(compare  i  Pet.  i  :4-i2  ;  2  :3-io;  5:  12  with  Acts  10:47  ; 

II  :  17;  15  :  7-11  ;  Gal.  2  :  7-10)  and  the  same  concen- 
tration of  attention  upon  the  death,  resurrection,  and  sec- 
ond coming  of  Christ  (compare  i  Pet.  1:3-7;  2  :  21-25  I 

3  :  18  ;  4:1  with  Acts  2  :  23-36  ;  3  :  13-26 ;  10  :  39-42). 
(4)  The  dependence  of  our  epistle  in  ideas  and  language 
on  Romans  and  Ephesians  (compare,  for  example,  i  Pet. 

4  :  10  ff.  with  Rom.  12:6  ff. ;  i  Pet.  3  :  9  with  Rom. 
12  :  17  ;  I  Pet.  2  :  13  ff.  with  Rom.  13  :  1-5  ;  i  Pet.  3  :  22 
with  Eph.  I  :  20  ff.  ;  I  Pet.  5  :  8  with  Eph.  6  :  11-13)  is 
favorable  to  its  genuineness,  since  a  writer  of  post-apos- 
tolic times,  impersonating  Peter,  would  have  no  motive  to 
imitate  or  incorporate  in  his  work  matter  from  these  two 

8s 


I  Peter  The  Messages 

letters.  Galatians  would  have  been  more  to  his  purpose 
than  Romans  because  it  was  addressed  to  a  group  of 
churches  to  which  the  author  of  First  Peter  also  ad- 
dresses his  epistle. 

On  the  contrary,  many  modern  writers  hold  that  the 
epistle  is  the  late  production  of  a  writer  who  merely  used 
the  name  of  the  apostle  to  give  weight  to  his  message. 
Harnack  assigns  it  to  the  reign  of  Domitian  (A.  D,  81-96) ; 
Jiilicher  to  that  of  Trajan  (98-117).  The  principal  argu- 
ments for  the  spuriousness  and  late  date  of  the  epistle  are 
as  follows  :  (i)  Silas  (Silvanus)  and  Mark(i  Pet.  5  :  12,  13) 
are  every  where  else  (Philem.  24  ;  Col.  4  :  10  ;  2  Tim.  4:11) 
found  in  association  with  Paul,  not  with  Peter.  (2)  That 
Peter  should  really  have  written  from  Rome  ("  Babylon," 
5  :  13)  to  the  churches  of  Asia  Minor,  as  is  commonly  sup- 
posed, is  quite  impossible.  Peter  had  no  relation  with 
those  churches,  which  belonged  distinctively  to  the  sphere 
of  the  apostle  Paul.  (3)  Peter  could  not  have  written  so 
good  Greek  as  that  of  our  epistle,  nor  would  he  have  cited 
the  Old  Testament  from  the  Septuagint  version.  (4)  The 
epistle  is  an  echo  of  Pauline  teaching.  If  it  were  to  be 
assigned  to  the  years  64-67  it  would  be  easier  to  attribute 
it  to  Paul  than  to  Peter.'     If  it  was  really  written  by  Peter 

>  Harnack  ("  Chronologic,"  p.  451  flF.)  holds  that  the  epistle  was  written 
either  by  Paul  or  by  someone  who  had  been  strongly  influenced  by  him. 
McGiffert  ("Apostolic  Age,"  p.  579  ff.)  thinks  it  was  written  by  a  disciple 
or  friend  of  Paul,  possibly  Barnabas. 

86 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter 

within  the  lifetime  of  Paul  to  the  Christians  of  Paul's  prov- 
ince, and  with  such  free  use  of  his  epistles,  why  does  not 
the  author  mention  his  fellow-apostle  ?  (5)  The  epistle 
contains  no  trace  of  the  burning  questions  about  the  law 
and  the  relation  of  Jewish  and  Gentile  Christianity,  and 
therefore  cannot  have  been  written  during  the  period 
(64-67)  when  these  questions  must  still  have  been  rife. 
(6)  The  epistle  cannot  be  the  work  of  an  apostle  because 
it  not  only  gives  the  readers  no  information  concerning 
the  life  and  words  of  Jesus,  but  betrays  no  first-hand 
knowledge  of  them. 

It  is  evident  at  a  glance  to  how  great  an  extent  the 
argument,  on  both  sides,  moves  in  the  region  of  conject- 
ure. The  strongest  consideration  in  favor  of  the  genuine- 
ness of  the  epistle  is  its  unquestioned  acceptance  in  the 
early  church.  The  greatest  difficulty  which  this  view  en- 
counters is  connected  with  the  supposition  that  Peter,  who, 
so  far  as  we  know,  had  never  visited  the  provinces  men- 
tioned in  the  address,  should  have  written  a  letter  to  the 
believers  within  Paul's  special  field  of  labor.  The  view 
of  Weiss  that,  before  Paul  traversed  Asia  Minor,  there 
were  Jewish-Christian  church  foundations  there,  is  with- 
out evidence  and  is  confronted  by  many  difficulties.  That 
the  language  and  ideas  should  have  been  influenced  by 
Romans  and  Ephesians  proves  nothing  on  either  side,  and 
this  alleged  dependence  is  itself  by  no  means  so  evident  as 
it  is  often  asserted  to  be.     The  unquestioned  acceptance 

87 


I  Peter  i :  i  The  Messages 

of  the  epistle  as  Petrine  in  the  early  church  from  the  sub- 
apostolic  age  onward,  is  a  fact  which  the  opponents  of  its 
genuineness  do  not  succeed  well  in  accounting  for,  and 
the  argument  derived  from  it  is  one  which  mere  supposi- 
tions and  conjectures  (largely  derived  from  our  lack  of  in- 
formation) do  not  avail  to  refute. 

The  traditional  view  that  the  epistle  was  written  from 
Rome  rests  mainly  upon  the  interpretation  of  "  Babylon  " 
in  5  :  13  as  a  metaphorical  designation  for  Rome.  But 
this  interpretation  is  a  doubtful  one.  The  fact  that  in  the 
Book  of  Revelation  (14  :  8)  Rome  is  figuratively  described 
as  "  Babylon  "  does  not  go  far  toward  proving  that  a  sim- 
ilar use  of  words  is  to  be  found  in  our  epistle.  If  "  Baby- 
lon "  is  to  be  taken  literally  it  would  involve  the  conclu- 
sion that  Peter  was  in  the  Far  East  when  he  wrote  the 
letter. 

IV 

THE    FIRST    MESSAGE   OF    PETER 
I.    The  Apostle  s  Greeting  (1:1,2) 

t^  ?hi"sca t°"     Peter,  a  chosen  messenger  of  Jesus  Christ,  sends  his 

tered  Jewish  greetings  to  his  Christian  countrymen  who  are  scattered 

(i :  1/2)"      abroad  throughout  the  provinces  of  Asia  Minor,  who,  in 

the  gracious  purpose  of  God,  have  been  called  and  saved 

unto  holiness  of  life  and  cleansing  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 

88 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter  1:12 

May  God's  grace  and  peace  be  with  you  in  increasing 
measure. 

2.    The  Great  Salvation  (i  :3-i2) 

Praise  be  to  God  who  has,  in  his  great  love,  given  us  The  blessed 
the  hope  of  salvation  through  the  resurrection  of  his  Son,  spfed  by 
Jesus  Christ,  from  the  dead— the  hope  of  a  blessed  and  [jon"^^^"""" 
glorious  reward  which  is  laid  up  in  heaven  for  you  whom,  (^  -  3-s) 
through  your  faith,  God  is  preparing  for  the  reception  of 
that  blessedness  which  shall  soon  be  granted  you  at  the 
Lord's  return.     In  the  prospect  of  such  a  salvation  you  A  cause  for 
can  be  glad,  though  for  a  brief  period  you  have  to  endure  even  in  trib- 
bitter  trials,  since  you  know  that  these  are  but  a  test  of  J^j^*'^") 
your  devotion  whereby  it  is  purged  of  its  dross  and  made 
ready  to  shine  in  all  its  purity  in  the  day  of  Christ's  com- 
ing.    For  though  Christ  is  hidden  from  our  eyes  he  is  re- 
vealed to  our  faith  and  love  ;  as  we  think  of  him  we  are 
filled  with  immeasurable  happiness  and  have  a  foretaste 
of  the  blessedness  for  which  we  long.     How  great  and  The  glorious 

,  .  1        •         •      .^1        .         •       ,  1  1       mystery  of 

mysterious  is  this  salvation  !     The  inspired  prophets  who  God's  gift  of 
foretold  it  sought  in  vain  to  fathom  its  meaning.     They  fhrough 
foresaw  that  through  the  Messiah's  sufferings  a  glorious  ^^"^  j^^,^) 
era  should  be  ushered  in,  but  they  only  dimly  discerned 
its  nature.     Only  this  was  clear  to  them,  that  God  was 
preparing  for  his  people  some  great  blessing  which  they 
themselves  should  not  live  to  see.     This  gift  of  God  has 
now  been  brought  to  you  by  the  preachers  of  the  glad 

89 


I  Peter  1:13  The  Messages 

tidings  of  salvation — a  gift  whose  full  meaning  and  value 
the  angels  themselves  are  not  able  to  estimate. 

3.   The  Holy  Life  Required  of  the  Christian  (i  :  13-25) 

Be  holy  With  the  prospect  of  such  blessedness  before  you,  you 

fs^holy*  ^°^  should  look  forward  with  constancy  and  eagerness  to  its 

(i  :  13-16)     realization  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord.     As  sons  of  God 

you  should  no  longer  live  in  impurity,  as  you  did  before 

your  conversion  when  you  knew  not  the  way  of  life ;  but 

you  must  live  in  obedience  to  the  divine  will  and  in  moral 

likeness  to  God  himself,  even  as   the  Scripture  teaches 

that  since  God  is  holy,  his  people    must  also  be  holy. 

Your  re-       Now  you  who  coufess  your  sonship  to  God  who  judges 

ha™bee°n      "^^^  ^ith  Strict  impartiality,  should  live  your  lives  in  holy 

costly  ^^,g  before  him  who  has  saved  you  from  the  sinful  course 

(i :  17-21)  •' 

of  life  in  which  you  had  been  brought  up,  not  by  the  gift 

of  perishable  treasures  but  by  giving  up  to  death  as  an 

offering  his  own  sinless  Son.     Although  this  saving  work 

of  Christ  lay  in  the  counsels  of  divine  love  from  eternity, 

it  was  only  at  the  end  of  a  long  period  of  preparation  that 

God  sent  him  into  the  world  for  the  accomplishment  of 

his  purpose,  which  has  now  been  wrought  on  your  behalf, 

whereby,  through    the  resurrection  and    glorification  of 

Christ,  you  have  obtained  a  secure  faith  and  steadfast 

hope  in  God.     Since,  now,  you  have  entered  upon  a  life 

of  obedience  to  God  and  of  love  toward  men,  let  a  sincere 

and  strong  brotherly  love  prevail  among  you,  for  the  germ 

90 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter  2  :  8 

of  a  new  life,  the  eternal  divine  truth  itself,  has  been  im-  Let  the  di- 
planted  in  your  hearts — a  living  and  enduring  seed   of  within  you 
truth,  I  say,  for,  as  the  Scripture  teaches,  everything  hu-  ^rulls"^*^"^*^ 
man  is  as  frail  and  fading  as  the  field-flowers,  but  God's  ^^  =  22-25) 
truth  is  imperishable.     Now  it  is  this  imperishable  truth 
which  through  the  gospel  has  been  made  known  unto  you. 

4.  Christian  Duties  and  Virtues  (2  :  1-17) 

Renounce   the  sinful  life  with  all  its  evils  and  follies  The  Chris- 
and  in  childlike  simplicity  and  teachableness  receive  the  life  found 
heavenly  truth  by  which  you  shall  be  made  strong  in  the  JJroSgh 
Christian  life.     You  have  already  experienced  the  kind-  ^^."^gj 
ness  of  the  Lord.     Come,  then,  to  him  whom  God  has 
made  pre-eminent  in  his  kingdom  that  he  may  make  you 
sharers   in   its  benefits,  building  you   into   his   spiritual 
temple,  consecrating  you  to  his  service,  and  enabling  you 
to  devote  yourselves  to  God  in  that  Christ-like  self-sacri- 
fice with  which  he  is  well  pleased.     The  Scripture  de- 
scribes the  Messiah  as  the  divinely  chosen  corner-stone 
of  God's  spiritual  temple,  and  assures  us  that  they  shall 
stand  secure  who  build  upon  that  strong  foundation.    You 
Christians  have  the  right  to  claim  this  assurance  as  your 
own  ;  but  to  those  who  reject  Christ  those  words  of  Script- 
ure apply  which  describe  God's  chosen  corner-stone  as 
becoming,  not  a  ground  of  comfort  and  hope,  but  an 
occasion  of  refusal  and  hostility.     This  is  because  they 
are   inwardly  hostile  to  God's  truth,  for  it  is  natural 

91 


I  Peter  2  :  9  The  Messages 

that  those  who  refuse  the  truth  should  reject  him  who  is 
The  be-        its  bearer  and  representative.     But  you  believers  are  the 
caus^for      true  people  of  God,  the  true  spiritual  Israel,  the  heirs  of 
ingfa^^Qrio)  ^o^'s   favor  and   promises.     How  greatly,  then,  should 
you  magnify  the  goodness  of    God  who  has  saved  you 
from  the  blindness  of  ignorance  and  the  depths  of  sinful- 
ness in  which  you  once  lived  and  has  brought  you  to  the 
knowledge  of  himself  and  made  you  the  objects  of   his 
favor  and  friendship. 
He  should         I  exhort  you,  my  brothers,  as  those  who  are  travelling 
biamekss      through  an  evil  world,  to  avoid  those  carnal  sins  which 
(a :  II,  12)    ^,Qyy  j-yjj^  yom-  spiHtual  life.     Keep  yourselves  free  from 
the  vices  of  the  heathen  among  whom  you  live.     Refute 
by  your  pure  lives  and  good  deeds  the  charges  of  wicked- 
ness which  they  bring  against  you,  that  they  may  thereby 
be  led  to  trust  in  God  and  so  to  rejoice  in  him  in  the  great 
day  of  trial. 
And  obeeU-       Remember  that  it  is  the  part  of  Christian  duty  to  be 
authority      law-abiding  and  to  render  to  the  various  rulers  and  magis- 
(2  •  13-17)     trates  under  whose  authority  you  live  that  deference  and 
obedience  which  are  their  due.     God   requires  that  by 
your  upright  life  you  should  disprove  the  baseless  accusa- 
tion of  your  enemies.     Maintain,  indeed,  your  Christian 
liberty,  but  remember  that  it  does  not  mean  freedom  to 
sin,  but  only  freedom  to  do  the  will  of  God.  Render  to  all 
their  due  ;  to  your  fellow-Christians  fraternal  affection ;  to 
God  supreme  reverence ;  to  the  reigning  emperor  respect. 
92 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter  3 :  2 

5.   The  Blessedness  of  Suffering  for  Christ's  Sake 
(2  :  18-25) 

Let  servants  render  obedience  and  deference  to  theirUndeserved 
masters  not  only  in  cases  where  the  latter  are  kind  but  ^oundlf* 
even  if  they  are  severe  and  harsh,  for  God  approves  the  J'a^i'^.fo) 
course  of  those  who  for  the  truth's  sake  patiently  endure 
hardship  and  injustice.     No  credit  is  due  to  you  for  the 
endurance  of  sufferings  which  you  have  justly  deserved, 
but  if  you  bear  with  fortitude  unmerited  hardships  God 
will  approve  and  bless  you  in  such  experience.     For  does  Christ  the 
not  our  Christian   life   mean   just  this,  that  we  should  Smpie  of"' 
imitate  Christ  in  the  patient  and  undeserved  endurance  of  (!ff  2i-?5) 
suffering  }     He,  the  sinless  sufferer,  accepted  his  burden 
of  sorrow  without  murmur  or  protest,  commending  his 
spirit  into  the  hands  of  the  righteous  Judge  ;  yea,  he  took 
upon  himself  on  the  cross  the  burden  which  our  sins 
imposed  that  we  might  be  delivered  from  sin  into  a  holy 
life.     He  suffered  for  your  salvation,  for  you  were  (in  the 
words  of  Scripture)  wandering  sheep ;  but  now  you  have 
been  gathered  into  the  fold  of  your  true  spiritual  Shep- 
herd and  Overseer. 

6.  Reciprocal  Duties  of  Wives  and  Husbands  (3  :  1-7) 

Wives  also  should  be  obedient  to  their  husbands,  in 
order  that  by  their  modest  and  reverent  manner  of  life 
they  may  win  to  Christ  those  husbands  who  are  still 
93 


I  Peter  3:3  The  Messages 

Wives         unbelieving.     Let  them  not  concern  themselves  for  mere 

the  biuty^  outward  appearance  by  tricking  themselves  out  in  costly 

and  "Set"     omaments  and  showy  clothing  ;  but  let  them  rather  seek 

'pi"t  that  inner  beauty  of  the  heart  and  life  which  is  pleasing 

to  God.     With  the  beauty  of  such  a  meek  and  obedient 

temper  were  the  women  of  the  olden  time  adorned.     It  is 

illustrated  by  Sarah's  deference  to  Abraham.     You  will 

exemplify  the  same  spirit  if  you  freely  and  cheerfully 

observe  these  directions. 

Husbands        Husbands,  in  turn,  have  reciprocal  duties  to  their  wives. 

Sefr  wTves    They  should  accord  to  them  all  reasonable  treatment  and 

rratLn?ss^''^'  deference,  not  only  because  they  are  inferior  in  strength 

and  tender-  but  bccausc,  equally  with  themselves,  they  are  sharers  in 

ness  (3 . 7     ^^^  blessings  of  salvation.     You  must  not  forget  these 

duties,  if  you  expect  your  prayers  to  avail  with  God. 

7.  Encouragements  t'n    Well-doing  (3  :  8-22) 

God's  bless-  In  conclusion,  I  exhort  you  to  cultivate  the  virtues  of 
ise^d'tJ'Ke  concord,  sympathy,  affection,  and  humility.  Avoid  re- 
who  return   ygnee  and  do  good  to  those  who  ill-treat  you,  for  in  so 

good  for  evil  »  °  ,       ,     ,  .        ,  i    i  •  , 

(3 :  8-12)  doing  the  Christian  finds  both  his  duty  and  his  reward. 
Hence  we  read  in  the  Scripture  that  he  who  would  have 
a  long  and  happy  life  must  avoid  all  harsh  and  evil  speak- 
ing and  strive  to  be  at  peace  with  his  fellow-men.  Such 
as  do  this  God  will  bless  and  reward,  while  those  who 
return  evil  for  evil  will  fall  under  his  displeasure. 

If  you  do  that  which  is  just  and  right,  you  have  nothing 
94 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter  3  :  22 

to  fear.     Indeed,  if  you  suffer  in  the  cause  of  truth,  you  No  real  dan- 
shall  find  peace  in  so  doing  and  need  feel  no  dread  or  fn"hos^e* " 
alarm.     Only  make  the   spirit  of   Christ  your  own  ;    in  ^°^^ 
quietness,  yet  in  confidence,  be  prepared  to  answer  those  ^3  =  13. 14) 
who  challenge  you  to  show,  the  grounds  on  which  you 
cherish  the  Christian  hope  of  salvation.     See  that  you  A  pure  life 

is  the  Chris- 
give  your  own  consciences  no  occasion  to  accuse  you,  so  tian's  de- 

that  when  you  are  charged  by  your  enemies  with  wrong-  ^^^-^l^^  16) 
doing,  your  pure  Christian  life  will  be  your  sufficient  de- 
fence.    Your  sufferings  may,  by  God's  blessing,  be  made  His  trials 
a  means  of  grace  to  you,  especially  if  they  are  incurred  by  Sessmgs^ 
the  performance  of  your  duty.     This  is  the  lesson  which  ^^  =  '7) 
we  learn  from  our  great  example,  Christ,  who  suffered  for  The  reward 
no  fault  of  his  own,  but  for  the  sins  of  others,  that  he  J^  chriS'for 
might  bring  us  into  the  life  of  fellowship  with  God.     But  seJv^d^s'uf- 
he  was  not  given  over  to  the  power  of  death,  for,  though  ,^^'"j"| 
his  body   truly  died,   his    spirit  passed  through    death 
unharmed,  and  in   his  spiritual  state   he  went    to  the 
underworld  and  proclaimed  the  message  of  salvation  to 
the  captive  souls  of  those  sinners  of  Noah's  time  who,  after 
a  long  delay  of  God's  justice,  were  destroyed  by  the  flood, 
from  which  but  eight  persons  were  saved  in  the  ark — as 
we  are  now  saved  by  the  waters  of  baptism,  not,  indeed, 
by  a  mere  outward  cleansing,  but  by  seeking  from  God 
an  inward  purification.    And  this  we  do  through  the  hope 
which  is  inspired  by  our  Lord's  resurrection  and  exalta- 
tion to  the  place  of  supreme  honor  and  power  in  heaven. 
95 


I  Peter  4 :  i 


The  Messages 


D3ring  unto 
sin  and  liv- 
ing unto 
holiness 
(4  ••  1-6) 


An  exhorta- 
tion  to 
Christian 
fidelity 
(4:7-") 


8.  Christian  Courage  and  Hope  (4  :  i-ii) 

Remember  and  imitate  the  example  of  Christ's  suffer- 
ings. As  in  his  death  he  broke  off  all  relations  with  the 
sinful  world,  so  may  you  pass  through  the  experience  of 
outward  suffering  and  emerge  from  it,  purified  from  sin, 
into  the  life  of  obedience  to  God.  Revert  no  more  to  that 
past  sinful  life  when  you  lived  as  those  who  know  not 
God  and  gave  yourselves  up  to  every  base  and  defiling 
practice  and  passion  ;  nor  be  disturbed  by  the  surprise 
which  your  former  companions  contemptuously  express 
that  you  no  longer  join  them  in  their  wild  excesses  ;  they, 
too,  must  stand  before  him  who  shall  judge  both  the  living 
and  the  dead  ;  for  the  object  of  Christ's  preaching  to  the 
dead  was  that,  though  they  had  been  visited  with  the 
common  human  judgment  of  death,  they  might  still  attain 
to  spiritual  life  in  fellowship  with  God. 

The  day  of  the  Lord's  coming  to  judgment  is  near ; 
therefore  be  earnest  and  faithful  in  the  practice  of  prayer 
and  of  fraternal  love,  for  love  is  the  very  essence  of  a  good 
and  pure  life.  Be  generous  one  toward  another  and  share 
together  the  gifts  of  God,  remembering  that  they  are  given 
you  as  a  means  of  blessing  to  others.  Therefore  let  your 
teaching  of  divine  truth  and  all  your  Christian  service  be 
done  in  dependence  upon  God's  wisdom  and  grace,  in  or- 
der that  all  may  be  to  the  praise  of  God  through  Jesus 
Christ,  to  whom  belongs  eternal  honor  and  power. 
96 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter  4:19 

9.  Sharing  in  Christ's  Sufferings  (4  :  12-19) 

As  followers   of   Christ  you  should  expect  to  suffer  The  Chris- 
severe  hardships,  by  which  your  fidelity  is  tested.     In  such  pectTo^s^uffer 
experiences  you  should  be  glad  to  repeat  the  experience  of  ^f^^^^^ 
your  great  example,  since  after  you  have  suffered  with 
him  you  shall,  at  his  coming,  also  share  his  heavenly  bless- 
edness and  dominion.     Rejoice,  therefore,  when  you  have  The  rewards 
to  suffer  in  the  cause  of  Christian  truth  and  duty,  for  in  suflferfng 
such  trials  God  will  bless  you  with  his  presence.     There  '^^  ''  ^'^'^^^ 
is  no  such  comfort  in  suffering  the  just  penalty  of  sin  and 
crime ;  it  is  when  one  suffers  unjustly,  because  of  his  de- 
votion to  Christ,  that  he  has  the  promise  of  the  presence 
and  blessing  of  God.     For  in  the  present  trials  and  sor-  Steadfast- 

11         •       •  f   ^1  ^    ^      ^'  ness  in  pres- 

rows  we  see  the  begmnmgs  of  the  great  testmg  process,  ent  trials  a 
which  is  to  try  all  men.     To  its  ordeals  we  Christians  1"^^^^^")'^°^ 
must,  first  of  all,  be  subjected,  and  if  it  be  found  difficult  t^e  coming 

'  •*  judgment 

for  some  of  us  to  abide  its  tests,  what  will  be  the  result  (4 :  17-19) 
for  those  who  reject  Christ  and  his  salvation  ?  If,  I  say, 
the  test  prove  almost  too  severe  for  us  Christians,  how 
hopeless  is  the  prospect  of  the  unbelieving,  wicked  world. 
Let  the  Christian,  then,  when  in  God's  providence  he  is 
required  to  suffer  for  his  faith,  persevere  in  his  fidelity, 
knowing  that  in  the  care  of  God  he  is  safe  from  harm. 


97 


I  Peter  5  :  i  The  Messages 

10.    The  Duties  of  Elders,  and  of  other  Members,  in  the 
Church  (5  :  i-ii) 

The  respon-      Jo  the  older  members  who  bear  rule  in  the  church  I  (who 

sibilities  of 

the  elders  in  am  also  an  elder  and  a  sharer  both  in  Christ's  sufferings 
the^flock"l^f  and  in  his  promised  blessedness)  give  this  charge  :  Instruct 
God  (5  :  1-4)  ^^^  guide  the  believers  committed  to  your  care  in  cheer- 
ful obedience  to  the  divine  will ;  not  for  worldly  gain,  but 
for  the  love  of  Christian  service;   not  with  an  arbitrary 
show  of  authority,  but  by  your  exemplary  Christian  life  ; 
and  you  shall  not  fail  of  the  imperishable  reward  which 
Dutiesofthe  the  Master  will  bestow  at  his  coming.     Let  the  younger 
Shrisffans,    Christians  show  all  due  deference  to  those  who  are  older, 
^fhouf  dis-  ^"^^  ^^^  hoXki  young  and  old  cultivate  a  lowly  mind  and  the 
tinction        spirit  of  mutual  service ;  for,  as  the  Scripture  says,  God 
opposes  the  haughty,  but  favors  the  meek.     Humbly  yield 
yourselves,  therefore,  to  be  led  and  taught  of  God,  that 
this  blessing  of  the  lowly  may  be  yours ;  nor  be  distracted 
by  care  and  worry,  since  he  has  you  safe  in  his  own  keep- 
ing.    In  Christian  duty  be  faithful  and  constant,  for  Satan 
like  a  ravening  wild  beast  is  ever  watching  for  his  prey. 
By  your  fidelity  resist   him,  nor  think  that  the  trials  to 
which  you  are  subject  are  more  severe  than  those  which 
A  prayer  for  have  come  upon  your  fellow-Christians  elsewhere.     May 
vSofJ'^  ^^   ^^  author  of  all  blessings,  who  through  Christ  has  made 
(s  J 10. 11)    us  partakers  of  his  gracious  salvation,  grant  to  you  when 
this  brief  day  of  suffering  is  over,  his  perfect  comfort  and 

98 


of  the  Apostles  i  Peter  5:14 

blessedness,  and  may  he  triumph  over  every  foe  and  reign 
eternally. 

II.  Concluding  Salutations  (5  :  12-14) 
By  the  hand  of  Silas,  whom  I  esteem  as  a  devoted  fel-  The  writer 

,     ,.  .  ,  ,  .        ,  ,  .  ,       and  aim  of 

low-believer,  I  have  written  you  this  short  letter  in  order  the  letter 
to  show  you  the  true  path  of  peace  and  safety.     Do  you  ^ " 
continue  to  walk  in  it. 

The  church  in  Babylon  '  sends  you  her  greetings,  as  does  Farewell 
also  Mark,  my  spiritual  son.     With  the  kiss  of  fraternal  ^Tial^rj) 
love  salute  one  another,  and  may  the  peace  of  God  dwell 
in  the  hearts  of  all  of  you  who  love  Christ. 

*  Most  interpreters  understand  the  words  :  "She  that  is  in  Babylon,"  to 
refer  to  the  church  there,  personified ;  but  others  suppose  it  to  refer  to  some 
Christian  woman.  The  expression :  "  elect  together  with  you,"  when  com* 
pared  with  i  :  i  "  to  the  elect "  favors  the  former  view. 


99 


THE  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE 


THE   EPISTLE   OF  JUDE 


THE    AIM    AND    PECULIARITIES    OF    THE    EPISTLE 

The  short  Epistle  of  Jude  is  wholly  devoted  to  a  single 
object,  the  rebuke  and  refutation  of  certain  corrupt  error- 
ists  who  were  seeking  to  lead  the  Christians  addressed 
astray  from  the  faith.  The  writer's  aim  is  stated  in  verses 
3  and  4.  It  was  to  exhort  the  believers  to  "  contend  ear- 
nestly for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints," 
and  to  warn  them  against  certain  "ungodly  men  who 
turn  the  grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness  and  deny  our 
only  Master  and  Lord,  Jesus  Christ."  It  is  evident  from 
the  language  of  the  epistle  that  these  dangerous  persons 
were  spurious  or  renegade  Christians  who  had  perverted 
Christian  liberty  into  license.  They  were  as  impure  in  life 
as  they  were  false  and  pernicious  in  their  teaching.  The 
author  describes  their  selfish  and  base  passions  by  call- 
ing them  shepherds  who  feed  only  themselves,  waterless 
clouds,  restless,  surging  waves,  and  wandering  stars  {vv. 
12,  13),  and  in  lurid  colors  he  depicts  the  fearful  judgment 
which  awaits  them  {;vv.  7, 13, 16). 
103 


jude  The  Messages 

The  epistle  gives  us  no  hint  respecting  the  location  of 
the  persons  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  It  is  directed,  in 
general,  "  to  them  that  are  called,  beloved  in  God  the 
Father,  and  kept  for  Jesus  Christ"  {v.  i).  The  most 
noticeable  characteristics  of  the  letter  are,  a  vehement 
spirit,  a  somewhat  turgid  style,  the  use  of  "  faith  "  in  a 
sense  approximating  the  idea  of  a  doctrine  handed  down 
from  the  past  (z/.  3),  the  appeal  to  the  authority  of  the 
apostles  (7/.  17),  the  copious  use  of  Old  Testament  illus- 
trations {vv.  5, 7, 1 1),  and  the  citation  of  apocryphal  books 
iyv.  9,  14,  15). 

II 

THE    AUTHOR    AND    DATE    OF    THE    EPISTLE 

Concerning  himself,  the  author  tells  us  only  his  name 
and  that  he  is  a  "  brother  of  James."  There  was  a  Jude 
or  Judas  (besides  Judas  Iscariot)  among  the  original  apos- 
tles (Luke  6  ;  16  ;  Acts  1:13)  who  in  the  lists  given  by 
Mark  (3: 18)  and  Matthew  (10:3)  is  called  Thaddasus. 
In  both  catalogues  furnished  by  Luke  he  is  further  de- 
scribed, according  to  the  rendering  of  our  older  English 
version,  as  "  the  brother  of  James."  The  phrase  is,  how- 
ever, simply  "  Jude  of  James  "  ('louSas  'la/ed)i3ou)  which 
much  more  naturally  means  "  Jude  the  son  of  James  " 
(so  R.  v.).  On  this  view  it  is  unlikely  that  the  author  of 
104 


of  the  Apostles  Jude 

our  epistle  means  to  designate  himself  as  the  Jude  of  the 
apostolic  list. 

We  also  learn  from  the  New  Testament  (Matt.  13:55; 
Mark  6  :  3)  that  among  the  brethren  of  Jesus  there  was  a 
Jude  (or  Judas)  as  well  as  a  James.  In  view  of  the  well- 
known  position  of  James,  the  Lord's  brother,  in  the  early- 
church,  it  is  a  plausible  supposition  that  the  author  intends 
to  lend  weight  to  his  message  by  describing  himself  as  the 
brother  of  "James  the  just,"  the  overseer  of  the  mother 
church  in  Jerusalem.  This  would  be  equivalent  to  giving 
his  readers  to  understand  that  he  is  Jude,  the  Lord's 
brother.  The  question  arises,  whether  this  supposition  is 
a  tenable  one. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  epistle  had  only  a  partial  and 
tardy  recognition  in  the  early  church.  Its  authorship  was 
regarded  as  uncertain  and  its  value  differently  estimated. 
As  late  as  the  time  of  Eusebius  in  the  fourth  century  it 
was  rejected  by  many,  although  widely  recognized.  Still 
later,  Jerome  tells  us  that  objections  were  felt  to  it  be- 
cause of  its  use  of  apocryphal  books.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  found  in  the  early  Syriac  version  and  in  the  canon  of 
Muratori  and  is  quoted  by  Clement  of  Alexandria  and 
Tertullian.  The  principal  grounds  on  which  many  mod- 
ern critics  deny  its  genuineness  are  as  follows:  (i)  The 
persons  denounced  in  the  letter  can  be  shown  to  have 
been  Gnostics,  and  the  second  century  is  the  period  of 
Gnosticism.     That  the  errorists  were  Gnostics  is  claimed 

105 


jude  The  Messages 

to  be  proven  by  the  tendencies  to  lawlessness  which  are 
ascribed  to  them  {yv.  4,  12,  16),  by  their  pretensions  to 
visions  (v.  8)  and  superior  wisdom  {y.  16),  and  by  their 
separation  of  men  into  classes  {v.  19).  (2)  The  objective 
use  of  "  faith  "  to  denote  a  traditional  belief  is  proof  of 
the  late  date  of  the  letter.  (3)  The  perfectly  general  form 
of  the  address  (t/.  i)  shows  that  the  epistle  belongs  to  the 
time  when  the  idea  of  the  "  catholic  "  church  had  begun 
to  develop,  that  is,  to  the  second  century.  (4)  The 
knowledge  and  use  of  apocryphal  books  by  the  author  and 
the  way  in  which  he  appeals  to  apostolic  authority,  look 
in  the  same  direction.  Those  who  employ  these  argu- 
ments commonly  date  the  book  within  the  period  A.  D. 
100-150. 

It  may  be  said,  on  the  contrary :  (i)  That  we  now 
know  that  Gnosticism  had  attained  a  very  considerable 
development  and  was  a  wide-spread  and  vigorous  force 
within  the  second  half  of  the  first  century,  and  (2)  that 
while  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  letter  do  point  to 
a  comparatively  late  date,  this  is  not  necessarily  incon- 
sistent with  its  genuineness.  We  have  no  knowledge  of 
Jude  the  Lord's  brother  from  other  sources,  and  that  he 
should  have  become  a  missionary  in  the  Gentile  world 
and  should  have  written  a  letter  to  the  believers  who  were 
known  to  him,  about  the  year  75  or  80,  is  not  at  all  dis- 
proved by  the  foregoing  arguments.  It  is  vain  to  be  cer- 
tain where  there  are  no  grounds  for  certainty.  Respect- 
106 


of  the  Apostles  Jude 

ing  such  questions  as  this  we  can  only  speak  of  probabili- 
ties. It  is  probable  that  the  author  means  his  readers  to 
understand  that  he  is  the  brother  of  Jesus.  Nothing  in 
the  letter  itself  or  in  the  history  of  the  early  church  as 
known  to  us  is  irreconcilable  with  that  supposition. 


Ill 

THE  author's  use  OF  OTHER  BOOKS 

The  author's  chief  source  of  illustration  is  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. He  uses  the  fate  of  the  unfaithful  Israelites  in 
the  wilderness  {y,  5;  compare  Num.  14  :  28-30),  the  de- 
struction of  the  cities  of  the  plain  (z/.  7  ;  compare  Gen.  19), 
and  the  stories  of  Cain,  Balaam,  and  Korah  {v.  11;  com- 
pare Gen.  4:5  ff.  ;  Num.  31 ;  Num.  16),  to  illustrate  the 
divine  judgment  upon  such  sins  as  those  of  which  the 
corrupt  libertines  are  guilty.  He  appeals,  in  general,  to 
the  teaching  of  the  apostles  as  containing  this  prophecy  : 
"  In  the  last  time  there  shall  be  mockers,  walking  after 
their  own  ungodly  lusts"  (7^.  18).  It  is  probable  that  the 
writer  means  to  give  in  his  own  words  the  substance  of 
some  such  description  as  that  given  by  Paul  of  "  the  man 
of  sin,"  and  "  the  mystery  of  lawlessness  "  (2  Thess.  2:1- 
12).  In  speaking  of  those  who  "  turn  the  grace  of  God  into 
lasciviousness  "  {v.  4),  he  doubtless  has  in  mind  Paul's 
principle  of  freedom  from  the  law  which  some,  even  in 
107 


jude  The  Messages 

the  apostle's  own  time,  perverted  into  the  maxim :  Let  us 
sin  because  we  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace 
(Rom.  6:15;  compare  Rom.  6  :  i  ;  i  Cor.  6  :  12). 

But  the  most  noteworthy  references  in  the  epistle  are 
those  which  the  writer  makes  to  apocryphal  books.  The 
allusion  in  verse  9  to  Michael  the  archangel  contending 
with  the  devil  for  the  possession  of  the  body  of  Moses,  is 
said  by  the  church  father  Origen  to  have  been  derived 
from  a  book  called  the  "  Ascension  of  Moses."  The  force 
of  the  illustration  is :  The  archangel  would  not  utter  a 
contemptuous  judgment  even  against  Satan,  but  these 
men  do  not  scruple  to  despise  even  the  divine  powers  and 
authority.  A  portion  of  this  apocryphal  book  was  found 
some  years  since  at  Milan,  but  it  did  not  contain  the  de- 
scription to  which  Jude  refers.  In  verses  14  and  15  there 
is  a  still  more  striking  quotation  from  an  apocryphal  book, 
the  "Book  of  Enoch."  The  passage  reads:  "And  to 
these  (wicked  men)  also  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam, 
prophesied,  saying,  Behold,  the  Lord  came  with  ten  thou- 
sand of  his  holy  ones,  to  execute  judgment  upon  all,  and 
to  convict  all  the  ungodly  of  all  their  works  of  ungodli- 
ness which  they  have  ungodly  wrought,  and  of  all  the 
hard  things  which  ungodly  sinners  have  spoken  against 
him."  This  is  a  free  rendering  of  a  passage  from  "  Enoch," 
i.  9.  The  reference  in  verse  6  of  our  epistle  to  the  fall  of 
angels  "  which  kept  not  their  own  principality,  but  left 
their  proper  habitation,"  is  probably  a  reminiscence  of 
•    108 


of  the  Apostles  Jude  4 

similar  descriptions  in  the  "  Book  of  Enoch  "  (14  :  4  ;  15  : 
3;  64  :  2).  This  book,  which  is  nowhere  else  quoted  in 
the  New  Testament,  is  a  composite  work,  in  part  pre- 
Christian  and  in  part  post-Christian.  It  is  a  work  which 
exercised  a  powerful  influence  upon  popular  Jewish  relig- 
ious thought,  especially  by  its  descriptions  of  the  person 
and  work  of  "  the  Son  of  man,"  the  Messiah.^ 


IV 

THE    MESSAGE    OF    JUDE 

A  Letter  of  Warning  against  False  Teachers 

The  greeting  of  Jude,   the  bondman  of    Christ    and  Salutation 
brother  of  James,  to  his  fellow-believers  :  I  wish  you  the 
increasing  enjoyment  of  God's  favor  and  blessing. 

As  I  was  planning  to  write  you  a  letter  concerning  Occasion  of 
Christian  life  and  duty,  I  was  moved  to  urge  you  espe-  (3,^4)"" 
cially  to  preserve  the  steadfast  confidence  in  Christ  which 
is  God's  supreme  gift  to  the  believer.  There  is  special 
need  of  this  exhortation,  for  false  teachers  have  crept  into 
your  midst,  like  wolves  into  the  sheep-fold,  who  are  per- 
verting the  gospel  by  treating  the  mercy  of  God  as  per- 

^  There  are  two  translations  of  the  Book  of  Enoch  into  English,  one  by 
Professor  G.  H.  Schodde  and  one  by  Rev.  R.  H.  Charles.     For  a  free  but 
accurate  paraphrase,  with  explanatory  introductions,  see  Volume  VIII.  of 
the  "  Messages  of  the  Bible  "  by  Professor  F.  C.  Porter. 
109 


Jude  5  The  Messages 

mission  to  sin,  thus  falsifying  the  very  meaning  of  our 
salvation  through  Christ. 
Examples  of      Now,  although  I  shall  tell  you  only  what  you  know  al- 
ment  upon    ready,  I  wish  to  remind  you  how,  in  times  past,  God  has 
(5°7)  taken  vengeance  upon  his  enemies.     One  illustration  is 

his  destruction  of  the  unfaithful  Israelites  when  he  was 
delivering  his  people  from  Egypt ;  another  is  his  con- 
signment of  the  sinful  angels    to  their  gloomy   prison- 
house  to  await  the  final  judgment ;  still  another  is  the 
overthrow  of   Sodom  and   Gomorrah  and  the  neighbor- 
ing cities,  and  their  utter  annihilation  by  fire  in  punish - 
The  pre-      ment  for  their  depravity.     But  these  corrupt  men  against 
g'J^ss'insof  whom  I  am  warning  you,  are  giving  themselves  over  to 
teachiS       the  same  wicked  practices  and  to  an  equal  contempt  of 
(5:8-11)       divine  authority  and  power.      How  great  is  their  pre- 
sumption !     The  archangel  Michael  when,  as  tradition  re- 
lates, he  disputed  with  Satan  for  the  possession  of  the  body 
of  Moses,  would  not  utter  even  against  him,  an  evil  pow- 
er, a  scornful  and  contemptuous  judgment,  but  left  it  to 
God  to  reprove  him ;  but  these  men  do  not  scruple  in 
their  ignorant  folly  to  despise  even  the  heavenly  powers ; 
they  would  as  readily  rail  at  good  beings  as  at  evil,  while 
their  base  carnal  desires,  whose  authority  they  alone  rec- 
ognize, are  plunging  them  into  ruin.  Destruction  be  theirs  ! 
They  have  imitated  Cain  in  murderous  hate,  Balaam  in 
greed,  and  Korah  in  their  proud  contempt  for  all  author- 
ity.    Your  love-feasts  are  defiled  by  their  presence ;  like 
110 


of  tJie  Apostles  jude  21 

false  shepherds  who  care  not  for  the  flock,  they  are  aim- Their  harm- 
ing to  derive  selfish  advantage  from  their  influence  among  weii-^de-*" 
you  ;  like  waterless  clouds,  they  carry  with  them  no  ben-  coUldemna- 
efit ;  like  dead  trees,  they  are  utterly  and  hopelessly  bar-  J^°" 
ren  of  all  spiritual  fruit.     They  are  like  the  sea  in  violent 
agitation,  such  is  the  restless  surging  of  their  evil  passions  ; 
like  meteors  which  flksh  out  brightly  for  a  moment  and 
then  disappear  in  eternal  darkness.     To  them  are  appli- 
cable the  words  of  Enoch  when  he  describes  the  divine 
judgment  upon  the  ungodly  :  God  shall  come  with  hosts 
of  angels  and  utterly  overwhelm  in  destruction  the  cor- 
rupt and    blasphemous   despisers  of   his  authority  and 
truth.     Such  are  the  men  who  are  seeking  to  lead  you 
astray — fault-finders,  lustful,  boastful,  sensuous   and  ar- 
rogant flatterers,  whose  favor  is  but  a  cloak  for  their  self- 
ishness. 

The  work  of  these  deceivers  reminds  us  how  our  Lord's  Such  evil 
apostles  had  predicted  that  in  the  days  before  his  advent  expwted  * 
ungodly  and  wicked  men  should  appear  and  seek  to  lead  ^^7-19) 
the  faithful  astray.     They  break  up  friendships ;  they  are 
given  over  to  the  unrestrained  power  of  the  lower  nature. 
But  do  you,  my  brethren,  refuse  to  yield  to  their  influence  Exhortation 
and  cling  with  confidence  to  Christ  and  his  truth  ;  be  chiSt  and 
constant  in  prayer  ;  cultivate  a  sense  of  God's  love  to  you  t«nd«r  con- 
and  hope  in  Christ's  mercy  to  be  shown  you  at  the  ap-  toward  the 
proaching  judgment.    As  for  those  who  have  fallen  under  (20^23) 
the  baleful  influence  of  the  false  teachers,  treat  such  of 
lit 


Jude  22-25 

them  as  are  still  perplexed  and  wavering  with  much  con- 
sideration and  tenderness  ;  those  who  have  gone  further 
in  error  snatch  by  eager  efforts  from  the  fire,  as  brands 
from  the  burning ;  toward  even  those  whose  deep  cor- 
ruption excites  only  loathing,  a  merciful  feeling  must  be 
cherished,  though  it  is  naturally  accompanied  by  alarm 
at  their  seemingly  hopeless  situation.  • 
Doxology  And  now  to  him  who  is  able  to  save  you  from  these 
fearful  corruptions  and  to  bring  you,  pure  and  holy,  to 
his  heavenly  kingdom — to  God,  our  Saviour  through 
Jesus  Christ,  be  ascribed  all  praise,  honor,  and  authority, 
in  all  past  time,  now,  and  forever.    Amen. 


(24. 25) 


112 


THE  SECOND   EPISTLE  OF  PETER 


THE  SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  PETER 


THE    AIM    AND   CONTENTS   OF    THE   EPISTLE 

Like  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  Second  Peter  is  a  vehement 
protest  against  false  teaching  and  corrupt  life,  and  an 
impassioned  appeal  to  its  readers,  to  stand  firm  in  the 
Christian  faith  and  to  cultivate  and  practise  the  Christian 
virtues.  After  the  address  and  greeting  (1:1,2)  the 
author  exhorts  his  fellow-Christians  to  the  cultivation  of 
Christian  knowledge  and  virtue  in  order  that  they  may 
obtain  entrance  into  the  eternal  kingdom  of  Christ  (1:3- 
11).  In  I  :  12-21  he  justifies  this  word  of  exhortation  by 
reminding  them  that  it  is  his  last  message  to  them  and 
by  assuring  them  of  the  reality  and  power  of  the  truth 
which  he  proclaims  to  them.  He  then  describes  and  de- 
nounces the  false  teachers  who  have  appeared  among 
them  and  warns  the  believers  against  their  doctrines  and 
practices  (ch.  2).  These  evil  men,  indeed,  deny  Christ's 
second  coming,  arguing  that  "  all  things  continue  as  they 
were  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation  "  (3:4);  but 
he  appeals  to  the  prophets  and  apostles  in  opposition  to 
"5 


2  Peter  The  Messages 

them.  He  reminds  his  readers  how  suddenly  the  flood 
came  upon  the  ancient  world,  urges  that  God  does  not 
reckon  time  as  men  do,  argues  that  the  world's  destruc- 
tion has  been  delayed  to  afford  men  an  opportunity  for 
repentance,  and  counsels  patient  waiting  (3  :  1-13). 
Finally,  he  warns  them  to  be  ready  for  the  day  of 
Christ's  coming,  even  as  Paul  had  taught  them  in  his 
epistles,  in  which  there  are  "  some  things  hard  to  be 
understood  "  (3  :  16)  which  some  are  perverting  to  their 
destruction.  The  Christians,  however,  being  forewarned, 
should  stand  fast  in  faith  and  hope,  and  grow  in  the  grace 
and  knowledge  of  Christ  (3  :  14-18). 

II 

ITS   RELATION    TO    JUDE 

That  between  our  epistle  and  that  of  Jude  there  is 
some  kind  of  interdependence  is  evident  to  every  reader. 
The  second  chapter  of  2  Peter  is  almost  identical  in  sub- 
stance and,  to  a  great  extent,  in  language  also,  with  Jude 
3-18.  The  illustrations  from  the  fall  of  the  angels,  the 
destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  and  the  rebuke  of 
Balaam  are  common  to  both.  In  both  epistles  the  pre- 
sumption, irreverence,  and  corruptness  of  the  errorists  are 
described  in  similar  terms.  The  principal  differences  are 
that  2  Peter  omits  the  illustrations  drawn  by  Jude  from 
116 


of  the  Apostles  2  Peter 

apocryphal  books  (the  contest  of  Michael  and  Satan,  and 
Enoch's  prophecy  of  judgment),  and  from  the  history  of 
Cain,  introduces  references  to  the  flood  and  to  "  righteous 
Lot,"  and  amplifies  (in  3  :  1-13)  the  reminder  of  Jude  {vv. 
17,  18)  that  the  apostles  had  predicted  the  appearance  of 
scoffers,  and  illustrates  their  scepticism  by  citing  their 
denial  of  the  Lord's  coming. 

Scholars  are  divided  on  the  question  whether  2  Peter  is 
dependent  on  Jude,  or  conversely.  The  former,  however, 
is  the  prevailing  opinion.  This  view  is  favored  by  the 
fact  that  parallels  to  Jude  are  found  not  only  in  ch.  2  of 
2  Peter  but  elsewhere  (i  :  2,  5,  compare  Jude  2,  3; 
1:12,  compare  Jude  5).  The  picture  in  Jude  of  the  cor- 
rupt persons  described  as  being  already  present  among 
the  readers  is  somewhat  confused  in  2  Peter  by  the  repre- 
sentation of  them,  now  as  being  present  (2  :  10,  12,  18, 
22)  and  now  as  not  having  yet  appeared  (2  :  1-3).  More- 
over, it  is  not  easy  to  imagine  the  motive  of  the  writer  if 
the  supposition  be  made  that  Jude  is  an  abridgment  of  2 
Peter,  whereas  an  enlargement  of  Jude,  with  special  adap- 
tations and  applications,  is  quite  capable  of  explanation. 


117 


2  Peter  The  Messages 

III 

ITS    AUTHOR,    DATE,    AND    READERS 

It  is  well  known  that  in  all  periods  of  the  church  doubts 
have  been  entertained  by  some  regarding  the  apostolic 
authorship  of  2  Peter.  It  is  not  until  we  reach  the  time 
of  Origen,  in  the  third  centun,'.  that  we  begin  to  find  a 
positive  attestation  of  the  book.  Aside  from  the  use  of 
it  by  this  great  church  father,  there  is  little  testimony  of 
importance  till  we  reach  the  time  of  Eusebius  (about  325), 
who  says  :  "  As  to  the  writings  (of  Peter),  one  of  his 
epistles  called  the  First  is  acknowledged  as  genuine ;  but 
that  which  is  called  the  Second,  we  have  not  indeed 
understood  to  be  embodied  with  the  sacred  books,  yet.  as 
it  appeared  useful  to  many,  it  was  studiously  read  with 
the  other  Scriptures.  These  writings  are  those  that  are 
called  Peter's  epistles,  of  which  I  have  understood  only 
one  epistle  to  be  genuine  and  admitted  by  the  ancient 
fathers."  The  ecclesiastical  councils  of  Laodicea  (A.  D. 
363)  and  Carthage  (A.  D.  397),  however,  admitted  2  Peter 
into  their  lists  of  sacred  books,  and  from  the  fourth  cen- 
tury onward  we  may  date  the  general  acceptance  of  the 
epistle  as  genuine. 

In  modern  times  the  apostolic  authorship  of  the  epistle 
is  called  in  question  on  grounds  like  the  following :  The 
epistle  dififers  from  i  Peter  in  style,  diction,  and  ideas, 
118 


of  the  Apostles  2  Peter 

places  Paul's  epistles  on  a  level  with  Old  Testament 
Scripture  (3  :  1 5) — ^a  view  of  them  which  could  not  have 
obtained  in  the  life-time  of  Peter,  and  speaks  of  the  mount 
of  transfiguration  as  '•  the  holy  mount  "  (i  :  18) — an  ex- 
pression which  in  the  apostolic  age  would  have  been 
used  to  designate  only  Mount  Zion.  On  the  other  hand, 
likenesses  in  style  and  thought  are  placed  over  against  the 
differences  ;  it  is  pointed  out  that  Paul  himself  speaks  of 
the  things  which  he  is  writing  to  the  Corinthians  as  "  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord"(i  Cor.  14:37),  and  it  is 
said  that  the  mount  in  question  is  naturally  called  holy 
because  the  transfiguration  had  made  it  sacred  to  Chris- 
tian thought.  Many  other  minor  considerations  are  urged 
on  either  side.  The  problem  is  a  difficult  one,  and  it 
would  be  unwarranted  to  pronounce  a  positive  judgment 
where  the  data  for  a  decision  are  so  scanty  and  uncertain. 

If  genuine,  the  epistle  was  written  not  far  from  A.  D. 
65.  Zahn  says,  60-64  ;  Weiss,  66.  Those  who  deny  its 
genuineness  place  it  later — sometimes  as  late  as  A.  D.  150. 
Some,  on  the  basis  of  a  literal  interpretation  of  i  Peter 
5:13,  and  on  the  supposition  of  its  genuineness,  have  held 
that  the  letter  was  written  from  Babylon  ;  others,  on  the 
figurative  view  of  the  passage  just  named  and  on  the  basis 
of  the  tradition  that  Peter  died  in  Rome,  have  maintained 
that  Rome  was  the  place  of  writing. 

We  possess  no  information  as  to  the  circle  of  readers  to 
whom  the  letter  was  addressed.  If  genuine  it  was  prob- 
119 


2  Peter  i  :  i  Tke  Messages 

ably  intended  for  the  same  general  class  as  First  Peter  (see 
1  :  i).  The  very  general  form  of  address  used:  "To 
them  that  have  obtained  a  like  precious  faith  with  us " 
(i  :  i),  and  the  evident  use  by  the  author  of  the  Epistle 
of  Jude,  the  introduction  of  which  is  equally  general,  do 
not  help  us  in  determining  the  nationality  and  location  of 
the  readers.  Unfortunately  this  epistle  is  one  about 
whose  author,  readers,  and  time  and  place  of  writing  we 
have  no  clear  information.  The  general  character  and 
purpose  of  the  epistle,  however,  are  not  doubtful,  and  the 
value  of  its  practical  teaching  need  not  be  lessened  by  our 
uncertainty  respecting  the  critical  questions  connected 
with  it. 

IV 

THE    SECOND    MESSAGE    OF   PETER 

I.    T/ig  Culture  of  the  Christian   Virtues  (i  :  i-ii) 

The  Chris-        I,  Simou  Peter,  Christ's  bondservant  and  messenger, 
a  hoiy*^Hfe  ^°  Send  to  you,  my  fellow-believers  and  partakers  in  the  sal- 
(»:  1-4)        vation  which  God  has  provided  in  Jesus  Christ,  my  greet- 
ings, wishing  you  the  increased  enjoyment  of  God's  favor 
and  continued  growth  and  progress  in  the  Christian  faith. 
Rich,  indeed,  are  the  blessings  and  rewards  of  the  spirit- 
ual life  which  God  has  opened  to  us  through  that  revela- 
tion of  himself  by  which  he  has  shown  us  how  to  imitate 
120 


of  the  Apostles  2  Peter  i  :  12 

his  own  glorious  perfections  and  to  embrace  those  blessed 
assurances  of  his  forgiving  love  by  which  we  are  delivered 
from  the  evil  of  the  world  and  are  made  sharers  in  the 
likeness  and  fellowship  of  God  himself.     Since,  now,  you  The  pcrfec- 
have  entered  upon  this  new  and  holy  life,  be  diligent  in  JJaS  vinuS'' 
the  culture  of  the  virtues  which  it  requires.     In  your  trust  ^^.  *™v 
in  Christ,  which  is  the  foundation  of   the  Christian  life, 
moral  courage  must  not  be  wanting ;  and  this  quality,  in 
turn,  needs  knowledge  to  guide  its  action.     But  knowl- 
edge will  not  be  wise  unless  there  be  associated  with  it 
self-control.     Then  in  addition  to  this  self-control  patient 
endurance  is  needful,  while  with  this  must  be  blended 
piety.     With   piety  must  mingle   love   to   one's   fellow- 
Christians,  and  with  this,  in  turn,  love  to  all  men  without 
distinction.     Those  who  cultivate  and  combine  in  their  The  desir- 
lives  these  virtues  will  prove  active  and  useful  Christians,  of  earrSst 
while  those  who  lack  them  will  fail  in  moral  discernment  f5.°o^,v 
and  will  be  in  danger  of  relapsing  into  the  old  sinful  life. 
In  view  of  this  peril,  my  brothers,  I  exhort  you  to  per- 
severance in  the  spiritual  life  upon  which  you  have  en- 
tered ;  if  you  cultivate  these  virtues  you  will  secure  the 
coveted  salvation  and  will  receive  at  the  Lord's  coming 
the  rich  rewards  of  his  eternal  kingdom. 

2.   T^e  Sure  Foundation  of  Christian  Faith  (i  :  12-21) 

Though  I  repeat  only  what  you  already  know,  I  shall 
not  cease  to  warn  you  of  the  dangers  which  threaten  you 

E2I 


2  Peter  i  :  13  The  Messages 

A  solemn      and  to  exhort  you  to  constancy  in  the  Christian  life  upon 

to  faUhfuU    which  you  have  entered.     I  deem  it  my  duty,  as  long  as  I 

nes»  live,  to  incite  you  to  faithfulness  by  reminding  you  of  your 

obligations— the  more  so  as  I  am  living,  as  Christ  has 

shown  me,  in  the  near  prospect  of  death.     But  I  shall 

leave  nothing  undone  in  order  that,  after  my  departure, 

Anargu-      you  may  recall  my  warnings  and  encouragements.     For 

Sra^osde's^^  were  not  following  myths  invented  by  human  fancy 

experience    when   wc   assurcd  you   that   the   Lord   would   come   in 

(i  :  16-18)  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

majesty,  for  we  apostles  saw  on  the  sacred  mount  the 

pledge  and  prophecy  of  that  coming  in  the  glory  of  the 

transfiguration  and  heard  the  heavenly  voice  proclaim  our 

Lord  to  be  the  Son  of  the  Father's  love  and  the  special 

An  argu-      object  of  his  good  pleasure.     By  such  events  the  ancient 

niophecy"    Messianic  prophecies  are  confirmed.     To  them  you  should 

(i :  19-21)     give  attention,  for  they  illumine  the  present  darkness  with 

hope  and  encourage  us  to  expect  the  dawning  of  the  day 

of  Messiah's  advent.    And  this  confidence  is  not  misplaced, 

because  prophecy  is  not  merely  the  result  of  the  prophets' 

own  thought,  but  is  the  product  of  a  divine  inspiration. 

3.    Warnings  against  False   Teachers  (2) 
The  appear-     As  in  ancient  times  false  prophets  appeared  in  Israel, 

ance  of  false  i  -n  j 

teachers       SO  now  there  Will  appear  among  you  dangerous  errorists, 

*"  •  '*^^        counterfeit  and  reprobate   Christians.      By  them   many 

believers  will  be  beguiled  and,  in  consequence,  the  cause 

of  Christ  will  suffer  reproach.     For  the  sake  of  gain  will 

122 


of  the  Apostles  2  Peter  2:15 

these  pernicious  teachers  acquire  influence  over  you  un- 
suspecting believers — but  only  for  a  little  while,  for  they 
shall  soon  be  overwhelmed  in  judgment.     Their  fate  shall  Their  ap- 
be  like  that  of  the  sinful  angels  whom  God  has  imprisoned  md^ent  ii- 
in  dark  dungeons  until  the  day  of  judgment ;  like  that  of  J^^^  ^^.g^/ 
the  ungodly  world  destroyed  by  the  flood — from  which 
only  Noah  and  seven  others  were  saved  ;   like  that  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  from  whose  fiery  judgment  (a  fear- 
ful warning  to  evil  doers  !)  the  just  Lot,  who  lamented  the 
wickedness  of  his  fellows,  was  saved  (for  his  spirit  was 
deeply  grieved  by  the  constant  sight  of  his  neighbors' 
depravity).     These  examples  show  both  how  the   Lord 
delivers  the  righteous  in  times  of  trial  and  how  he  judges 
the  base  and  the  lawless.     Such  are  these  perverse  men  Their  pre- 
against  whom  I  am  warning  you.     Haughty  and  defiant,  and^co?nipt- 
they  do  not  scruple  to  blaspheme  the  supernal  powers.  (!f t^.i^) 
Not  even  angels,  though  they  are  greater  than  men,  and 
might  with  less  presumption  do  so,  would  think  of  utter- 
ing such   contemptuous   defiance.     But   these   sensuous 
free-thinkers,  blindly  and  irrationally  give  themselves  up 
to  their  evil  instincts  and  plunge  headlong  down  the  path 
of  destruction.      Sunk    in  corruption    themselves,   they 
defile  your  Christian  communion  by  their  base  excesses  ; 
the  sport  of  evil  passion  and  the  slaves  of  sin,  they  carry 
corruption  and  defilement  wherever  they  go.     They  are 
like  Balaam  who  sought  his  own  selfish  advantage,  but 
was  rebuked  for  his  covetousness  through  the  word  of 
123 


2  Peter  2:16  The  Messages 

2l  beast  to  which  God  gave  for  the  purpose  the  powef 
of  speech.  Like  waterless  springs  or  driven  clouds,  no 
good  comes  from  them ;  their  portion  is  utter  destruction. 
With  boastful  pretensions  of  wisdom,  they  are  drawing 
back  into  the  sinful  life  those  who  were  beginning  to 
emerge  from  it ;  this  they  do  under  pretence  of  showing 
them  the  way  of  freedom,  while,  in  fact,  they  are  them- 
selves the  bondslaves  of  sin  and  are  but  dragging  their 
The  perils  of  dupes  down  into  the  same  wretched  slavery.  How  dread- 
fa  °  20-22)  f ul  a  thing  it  is  for  weak  and  inexperienced  believers  who 
have  entered  on  the  way  of  Christian  truth  and  life  to  be 
drawn  down  again  by  these  corrupt  men  into  the  deprav- 
ity which  they  had  renounced  !  Of  such  the  saying 
proves  true  :  their  last  state  is  worse  than  their  first. 
Better  would  it  have  been  for  them  never  to  have  known 
what  the  better  life  is  than,  having  known  it,  to  repudiate 
it  and  plunge  back  again  into  the  depths  of  corruption. 
To  do  this  is  to  imitate  the  animals  who  return  to  their 
own  filth. 

4.    The  Terrors  of  the  Coming  Judgment  (3  :  1-13) 
The  denial        I  am  Writing  you  now,  as  in  a  previous  epistle,  in  order 

of  the  sec  ..,/.,  ,.     •  ,  ,  , 

ond  coming,  to  put  you  m  mmd  of  the  predictions  of  prophets  and 
swe/(3  ^1-7)  apostles   who   have  foretold   the  appearance  of  corrupt 
scoffers  who,  because  the  course  of  things  has  been  unin- 
terrupted from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  should  deny 
that  the  Lord  will  come  to  judgment.    These  sceptics 
124 


of  the  Apostles  2  Peter  3:15 

persistently  ignore  the  fact  that  the  earth,  which  seemed 
so  substantial  and  unchangeable,  was  once  overwhelmed 
by  a  flood.  We  have  the  same  divine  assurance  which 
was  given  before  that  catastrophe  that  a  similar  judgment 
of  destruction,  only  by  fire  instead  of  water,  now  awaits 
the  wicked  world. 

In  connection  with  the  argument  of  the  scoffers  this,  A  further 
too,  is  to  be  remembered,  that  the  Lord  does  not  count  the  scoffers 
time  as  men  do.     A  period  which  seems  to  us  long  is  not  ^^  *  ^"^°^ 
so  to  him.     Moreover,  he  may  be  delaying  the  final  crisis 
in  order  to  give  the  greater  opportunity  for  repentance. 
But  we  may  be  sure  that  when  the  day  of  the  Lord  does 
come,  it  will  come  suddenly  ;  then  the  framework  of  this 
present  world  will  be  consumed  in  flame.     In  view  of  the  A  practical 
terrors  of  this  impending  crisis  what  pure  and  blameless  from  the 
lives  should  we  lead,  and  how  eagerly  should  we  look  for-  (j^i'^fj"*) 
ward  to  the  destruction  of  this  present  evil  world  and  to 
the  emergence  of  a  new  and  purified  order. 

5.  An  Exhortation  to  Fidelity  (3  :  14-18) 

In  view  of  this  prospect  of  coming  judgment,  see  to  it  An  appeal 
that  you,  my  dear  brothers,  live  pure  and  peaceable  lives  o*f  PauUnd 
before  God,  remembering  that  the  delay  of  the  Lord  in  ag^S'"*^ 
destroying  the  wicked  means  your  salvation,  as  you  have  *^°'*  ^^°  . 
read  in  the  letter  which  our  dear  brother  Paul  has  written  meaning 
you  ;  in  this,  as  in  all  his  letters,  he  speaks  of  these  sub-     *  '*"' 
jects.    His  meaning  is  sometimes  difficult  and,  in  conse- 
125 


2  Peter  3 :  16-18 

quence,  the  undiscerning  and  perverse  often  misapply 
his  words,  as  they  do  those  of  the  Old  Testament,  deduc- 
ing from  them  false  and  ruinous  conclusions.  You  are 
now  forewarned.  Be  not  misled  by  these  evil  men  from 
the  path  of  Christian  truth  and  duty,  but  persevere  in  your 
fidelity  to  Christ  and  seek  an  ever  closer  fellowship  with 
him,  to  whom  be  eternal  praise. 


116 


THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  TO  TIMOTHY 


THE   FIRST   EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY 


THE    GENERAL    CHARACTER    OF    THE    PASTORAL 

EPISTLES 

The  Epistles  to  Timothy  and  Titus  are  distinguished 
from  the  other  letters  which  bear  the  name  of  Paul  by 
noticeable  peculiarities  of  style,  tone,  and  purpose.  They 
are  less  doctrinal  and  more  personal  than  the  first  ten 
epistles,  except  Philemon.  They  move,  in  the  main,  in  a 
different  realm  of  ideas  and  interests.  They  are  directed 
to  Timothy  and  Titus,  Paul's  trusted  helpers,  and  are  de- 
signed to  aid  and  encourage  them  in  their  labors  as  super- 
intendents of  Christian  work  in  Ephesus  and  Crete  re- 
spectively. From  this  object  they  derive  the  name  Pas- 
toral Epistles, 

The  great  themes  of  Paul's  doctrinal  teaching — justifi- 
cation, reconciliation,  and  the  law — are  barely  mentioned 
in  these  letters.  Instead,  the  epistles  deal  with  rules  for 
church  administration,  warnings  against  vain  speculations, 
and  exhortations  to  fidelity  in  Christian  labor  and  to  the 
steadfast  endurance  of  hardships.  The  qualifications  of 
129 


1  Timothy  The  Messages 

bishops  and  of  deacons  are  described  at  length  in  First 
Timothy  (3  :  1-13  ;  compare  Titus  i  :  5-9) ;  directions  are 
given  respecting  the  duties  and  behavior  of  various  classes 
of  persons — widows  (i  Tim.  5  :  1-16),  the  older  and  the 
younger  men  and  women  (Titus  2  :  1-8),  and  servants  (i 
Tim.  6:1,2;  Titus  2  :  9,  10).  The  regulation  of  public 
worship  (i  Tim.  2)  and  the  administration  of  church  dis- 
cipline (i  Tim.  5  :  17-25  ;  Titus  3  :  10,  11)  are  prominent 
subjects  in  First  Timothy  and  Titus.  The  relations  of 
the  sexes  (i  Tim.  2  :  8-15),  of  the  rich  and  poor  (6:9,  10), 
and  of  rulers  and  subjects  (i  Tim.  2  :  i,  2;  Titus  3  :  i, 
2)  are  dwelt  upon,  and  the  superintendents  are  particularly 
exhorted  to  attend  faithfully  to  the  duties  which  are  con- 
nected with  all  these  different  matters.  Especially  are 
they  warned  against  the  influence  of  certain  current  forms 
of  error  which  are  variously  described  as  a  "giving  heed 
to  fables  and  endless  genealogies"  (i  Tim.  i  :  4),  vain 
and  confident  assertions  (i  :  7),  hypocrisy  and  lying  (4:1, 
2),  the  prohibition  of  marriage  and  other  ascetic  absti- 
nences (4:  3),  the  greed  of  gain  (Titus  i  :  10,  11),  and  a 
knowledge  {gnosis)  falsely  so  called  (i  Tim.  6  :  20).  It 
appears  from  the  language  used  that  these  errors  were 
kindred  to  those  mentioned  in  Colossians — an  incipient 
Gnosticism,  largely  mixed  with  Jewish  elements  (Titus 
I  :  ID,  14),  a  dualistic  and  ascetic  eclecticism  which  rev- 
elled alike  in  superstitious  folly  and  in  moral  corruption. 
If  we  look  more  closely  at  these  letters  we  find  that  cer- 
130 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy 

tain  terms  and  conceptions  are  characteristic  of  them,  for 
example,"  God  our  Saviour"  (i  Tim.  i  :  i ;  2:3;  4  :  10; 
Titus  I  :  3;  2  :  13;  3  14 — not  so  in  2  Timothy),  "the 
faith,"  used  quite  objectively  in  the  sense  of  doctrine  (i 
Tim.  I  :  19  ;  Titus  i  :  i,  4,  13);  such  phrases  as  "the 
faithful  saying"  (i  Tim.  3:1;  Titus  3  :  8),  "  the  sound, 
or  wholesome,  doctrine"  (i  Tim.  i  :  10;  Titus  1:9; 
2:1),"  the  faithful  word  "  (Titus  1:9),  and  "  sound,  or 
healthy,  speech  "  (Titus  2  :  8).  Such  peculiarities,  taken 
in  connection  with  the  references  to  the  church  and  its  ad- 
ministration (see  especially  i  Tim.  3:15)  show  that  these 
letters  reflect,  not  so  much  the  problems  on  which  the 
church's  very  existence  depended,  as  questions  of  regulat- 
ing an  established  organization.  The  tone  of  the  epistles, 
especially  of  First  Timothy  and  Titus,  is  distinctly  ecclesi- 
astical. The  fragments  of  a  hymn  which  is  quoted  (i  Tim. 
3  :  16),  and  the  apparent  echoes  of  liturgical  forms  {e.g., 
Titus  2  :  11-14,  3  :  4-7),  illustrate  the  same  tendency.  In 
reading  these  epistles  we  are  in  the  world  of  church  or- 
ganization and  administration. 

In  general,  these  epistles  follow  no  logical  arrangement. 
First  Timothy  and  Titus  are  especially  loose  in  structure. 
A  still  more  noticeable  characteristic,  especially  of  the  two 
letters  just  named,  is  their  lack  of  freshness  and  original- 
ity in  comparison  with  the  other  Pauline  epistles.  It  can- 
not be  denied  that  in  these  letters  the  writer  deals  mainly 
with  ready-made  materials.     He  is  handling  current  coin. 

131 


I  Timothy  The  Messages 

He  assumes  that  there  is  a  body  of  sound  doctrine  with 
which  the  reader  is  familiar  and  the  contents  of  which  he 
may  presuppose.  Hence  we  are  never  told  what  this 
wholesome  teaching  is.  The  epistles  do  not  unfold  the 
inner  meaning  of  Christian  truth ;  they  urge  practical 
duties  which  spring  out  of  doctrines  already  known  and 
institutions  already  long  established. 


II 

THE    HISTORICAL  SITUATION    PRESUPPOSED    IN    THE 
PASTORALS 

As  has  been  already  observed,  the  epistles  picture 
Timothy  as  superintending  the  work  of  the  church  in 
Ephesus,  and  Titus  as  performing  a  like  service  in  Crete. 
Of  both  these  trusted  friends  of  the  apostle  we  often  hear 
in  the  New  Testament,  but  we  nowhere  else  find  them 
engaged  in  the  work  just  mentioned.  The  epistles  also 
presuppose  that  Paul  wrote  First  Timothy  and  Titus 
while  at  liberty,  apparently  in  Macedonia  (i  Tim.  1:3), 
and  Second  Timothy  while  a  prisoner  calmly  awaiting 
the  approach  of  death  (2  Tim.  4  :  6-8).  It  is  evident  that 
this  epistle  could  not  have  been  written  by  the  apostle 
during  the  imprisonment  when  Colossians,  Philemon,  and 
Philippians  were  written,  for  then  he  wrote  in  the  con- 
132 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy 

fident  expectation  of  a  speedy  release  (Philem.  22 ;  Phil. 
2  :  24).  It  is  obvious,  then,  that  the  epistles  presuppose 
a  historical  situation  which  does  not  fit  into  the  life  of 
Paul  as  revealed  in  the  Acts  and  in  the  first  ten  epistles. 
If  we  are  to  adjust  these  epistles  to  the  apostle's  history, 
we  must  do  so  by  supposing  that,  as  he  expected,  he  was 
released  from  the  imprisonment  in  which  he  wrote  Colos- 
sians,  Philemon,  Ephesians,  and  Philippians,  resumed  his 
missionary  journeying,  during  which  he  wrote  First  Timo- 
thy and  Titus,  was  then  reimprisoned  and  condemned  to 
death,  and,  during  his  last  days,  wrote  Second  Timothy. 
These  statements  serve  to  raise  the  whole  question  of  the 
authorship  and  date  of  the  epistles. 


Ill 

THE    AUTHORSHIP    AND  DATE   OF    THE   EPISTLE 

The  objections  to  the  Pauline  authorship  of  the  Pastoral 
Epistles  are  mainly  derived  from  the  peculiarities  which 
have  been  sketched.  They  do  not  apply  equally,  how- 
ever, to  all  three  epistles.  We  shall  see  that  Second 
Timothy  furnishes  fewer  difficulties  than  the  other  two. 
Summarily  stated,  the  principal  difficulties  are :  (i)  There 
is  no  place  for  them  in  the  known  life  of  Paul.  (2)  They 
are  unpauline  in  language  and  ideas  and  are  especially 
133 


1  Timothy  The  Messages 

lacking  in  the  vigor  and  penetration  which  are  character- 
istic of  Paul's  letters.  (3)  They  presuppose  a  highly  de- 
veloped ecclesiastical  system  which  cannot  be  earlier  than 
the  second  century.  (4)  The  errors  combated  must  be 
later  than  Paul's  time.  (5)  They  are  loose  in  logical 
structure  and  bear  the  marks  of  being  the  work  of  differ- 
ent hands.  All  these  considerations  are  urged  with  spe- 
cial force  against  First  Timothy  and  Titus.  Attention  is 
called  to  the  phrases  :  "  oppositions  {antitheseis)  of  the 
knowledge  [gnosis]  falsely  so-called"  (i  Tim.  6  :  20)  as 
being  probably  an  allusion  to  the  work  of  the  Gnostic 
Marcion  called  Antitheseis ;  to  the  characterization  of 
the  church  as  "  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth " 
(i  Tim.  3:15),  which  is  said  to  reflect  the  ecclesiastical 
conceptions  of  the  post-apostolic  age ;  to  the  fact  that 
in  Titus  the  elders  and  the  bishops  are  separately  men- 
tioned (i  :  5,  7)  as  if  they  were  no  longer  one  and  the 
same,  as  in  the  apostolic  age,  and  to  the  mention  of  the 
elders  as  composing  a  "  presbytery"  (i  Tim.  4  :  14),  that 
is,  a  college  or  compacted  body  of  rulers.  The  existence, 
too,  of  an  order  of  widows,  a  recognized  company  of  de- 
pendent women  who,  under  certain  conditions,  were,  at 
least,  partially  supported  by  the  church  (i  Tim.  5:3-16), 
is  thought  to  point  to  a  late  date,  since  no  such  institu- 
tion or  arrangement  is  known  to  have  existed  in  the  apos- 
tolic age. 
The  question  of  fitting  the  epistles  into  the  framework 
134 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy 

of  Paul's  life  will  be  considered  in  connection  with  Second 
Timothy.  The  errors  characterized  are,  no  doubt,  Gnostic 
in  their  main  features.  But  so  also  were  those  which  were 
rife  at  Colossae.  We  now  know  that  Gnosticism  existed 
in  all  its  essential  elements  in  the  apostolic  age.  The  prin- 
cipal difficulties  are  connected  with  the  language  and 
thought  and  with  the  church-order  presupposed.  It  is  not 
certain  that  bishop  and  elder  denote  different  officers  in 
First  Timothy  and  Titus,  although  the  separate  references 
to  them  (i  Tim.  3:1-7;  5  :  i,  17 :  Titus  i  :  5,  7-9)  makes 
such  an  interpretation  plausible.  It  must,  however,  be  ad- 
mitted that  one  cannot  attentively  read  First  Timothy,  for 
example,  without  being  struck  by  its  lack  of  directness, 
vigor,  and  grasp  upon  the  deep  truths  of  Christianity  which 
characterize  Paul's  earlier  letters.  These  difficulties  are 
partly,  but  not  wholly,  removed  by  the  special  object 
which  the  letter  has  in  view.  The  supposition  of  many 
scholars  that  some  brief  memoranda  of  Paul's  have  been 
incorporated  into  this  manual  for  the  regulation  of  church 
administration,  is  not  an  unreasonable  one.  In  this  way 
it  could  be  explained  how  Paul's  name  was  associated 
with  the  message  sent  to  Timothy  and  why  it  was  received 
as  Paul's  in  the  church  at  large. 

We  shall  see  later  that  if  our  epistle  be  regarded  as  be- 
ing directly  and  entirely  the  work  of  Paul  it  must  have  been 
composed  about  A.  D.  65.  If  the  view  that  it  is  a  manual 
from  a  later  hand,  into  which  some  Pauline  fragments 


I  Timothy  The  Messages 

were  incorporated,  be  adopted,  its  date  would  need  to  be 
placed  a  considerable  number  of  years  later.  Professor 
Harnack,  who  adopts  this  theory,  places  the  epistle  about 
A.  D.  loo-i  lo.  While  certainty  concerning  the  authorship 
and  date  of  the  Pastorals  is  not  attainable,  it  may  be  said 
that  an  increasing  number  of  scholars  favor  the  supposi- 
tion of  composite  authorship  or  compilation  and  a  com- 
paratively late  date.  This  supposition  accounts  for  the 
peculiarities  of  the  epistles,  and,  at  the  same  time,  explains 
the  connection  with  them  of  the  name  of  Paul.  On  this 
view  the  epistles  are  Pauline  in  a  modified  sense,  though 
not  composed  by  his  hand. 

The  question  of  authorship  will  meet  us  again  in  con- 
nection with  Second  Timothy,  in  which  the  peculiarities  to 
be  explained  are  of  a  somewhat  different  character. 

IV 

THE    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER  OF    TIMOTHY 

With  Timothy  we  are  made  acquainted  by  the  Book  of 
Acts  (i6  :  1-3).  He  was  a  resident  of  Lystra  and  was 
already  a  devoted  Christian  disciple  when  Paul  visited 
that  city  on  his  second  missionary  tour.  Not  improbably 
he  had  been  converted  by  the  apostle  on  his  earlier  visit 
to  Lystra  (Acts  14  :  6-22).  We  are  told  that  his  mother 
was  a  Jewess— a  fact  which,  no  doubt,  explains  Paul's 

136 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy 

willingness  that  he  should  be  circumcised  (Acts  i6  :  3)  in 
order  that  no  needless  offence  should  be  given  to  the  Jews. 
Timothy  became  the  apostle's  efficient  helper  in  his  mis- 
sionary work  and  his  name  is  coupled  with  that  of  Paul  in 
the  salutations  of  five  of  his  letters  (i  and  2  Thess. ,  2  Cor., 
Col.,  Phil.).  He  was  with  the  apostle  when  from  his 
Roman  prison  he  wrote  Colossians  (1:1)  and  Philippians 
(i  :  i).  Thereupon  he  disappears  from  view  until  we 
meet  with  him  again  in  the  Pastoral  Epistles.  They  give 
us,  besides  the  general  facts  already  mentioned,  some  fur- 
ther details  concerning  his  life — the  names  of  his  mother 
and  grandmother  (2  Tim.  i  :  5)  and  the  careful  training 
which  he  had  received  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
(2  Tim.  3  :  14,  15),  and  tell  us  that  Paul  in  his  last  days 
greatly  desired  the  presence  of  his  spiritual  son  (2  Tim. 
4:21). 

The  picture  which  the  Pastoral  letters  paint  of  Timothy 
is  that  of  a  devoted  and  sincere  man,  who,  however,  ap- 
pears somewhat  lacking  in  firmness  and  courage.  He 
seems  to  have  shrunk  from  responsibility  and  to  have 
been  much  discouraged  by  the  perplexities  and  trials  of 
his  position.  He  is  represented  as  being  in  danger,  not 
only  of  allowing  those  committed  to  his  charge  to  be  led 
astray,  but  even  of  coming  himself  under  the  baleful  in- 
fluence of  false  teaching.  Perhaps  he  was  one  of  those 
men  who  can  work  more  successfully  under  the  direction 
of  another  than  when  left  to  himself. 

137 


I  Timothy  i :  i  The  Messages 


THE    FIRST   MESSAGE    TO   TIMOTHY 
I.  A  Charge  to  Keep  the  Gospel  Pure  (i) 

Saluution        I,  Paul,  a  divinely  commissioned  apostle  of  Christ,  send 
d :  I.  a)       to  you,  my  spiritual  son  Timothy,  salutations  of  grace, 

mercy,  and  peace. 
The  current     I  now  repeat  the  exhortation  which  I  gave  you  when 
specuTation    I   was  about  to  Start  for  Macedonia ;    namely,  that  you 
avoided^and  s^o"^^  wam  certain  false   teachers  from  devoting  their 
ersrebuked  ^^^^"'^^^^"s    to  fooHsh    myths  and  speculations  concern- 
(1 :  3-7)       ing   the  derivation  of  spiritual  beings  —  subjects  which 
provoke  disputes  rather  than    help  men    to    discharge 
their  duties  as  faithful  stewards  of   God ;    for  the  goal 
of  the  gospel  requirement  is  love  pure  and  sincere,  and 
faith  without  pretence.     Some  have  deserted  these  truths 
and  in  their  folly  have   assumed    to  be  expounders  of 
the  divine  law,  without  knowing  at  all  the  true  import 
The  Chris-    of  that  which  they  pretend  to  teach.     Now  the  law  of 
devo^te  him-  God  is  Certainly  profitable,  if  it  is  used  according  to  its 
wholesome    "^^^^  meaning  and  intention,  and  it  is  only  rightly  used 
and  moral     when  One  cousiders  that  it  exists  not  for  him  who  fulfils 
(i :  8-II)      the  divine  will  in  free  obedience,  but  to  rebuke  and  re- 
strain those  who  are  guilty  of  various  sins  and  crimes  and 
of  whatever  conduct   is  contrary  to  the  wholesome  in- 

138 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy  i :  20 

struction  contained  in  the  gospel.  This  is  the  view  of 
the  nature  and  use  of  the  law  which  accords  with  the 
glorious  good  news  which  God  has  now  proclaimed  and 
with  whose  proclamation  I  have  been  intrusted. 

Praise  be  to  Christ,  who  strengthened  me  and  deemed  The  grace 
me  fit  to  enter  his  service,  though  I  was  one  who  pro-  calling  Paul 
faned  sacred  things  and  bitterly  opposed  his  cause.     But  Jj^^"  ^^^' 
he  had  compassion  upon  me,  for  I  did  not  know  how  (» :  "-17) 
sinful  my  conduct  was;    and  the  abounding  grace  of 
Christ  reached  even  to  me  and  produced  in  me  the  fruits 
of  faith  and  love.     True  beyond  all  question  is  that  word, 
**  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,"  for  I 
was  the  greatest  sinner.    But  God  had  mercy  upon  me,  in 
order  that,  in  the  case  of  a  great  evil-doer  such  as  I  was, 
he  might  show  forth  all  the  richness  of  his  forgiving  grace 
as  an  illustration  of  the  forbearance  which  he  would  show 
toward  those  who  should  afterward  believe  on  Christ  for 
salvation.     Now  to  the  one  God,  the  glorious  King  of 
the  ages,  be  all  praise  ascribed,  forever. 

This  instruction,  then,  my  son  Timothy,  respecting  the  An  exhorta- 
true  Christian  teaching,  I  now  deliver  to  you,  in  accord  fSJess  *"  ' 
with  the  predictions  of  your  faithful  service  to   Christ,  ^^ "  '^**°^ 
which  were  formerly  made.     In  fulfilment  of  them  do  you 
fight  the  good  fight.     Hold  fast  to  Christ  and  to  a  pure 
purpose  in  his  service.     Be  warned  by  the  loss  of  faith  on 
the  part  of  some  ;  for  example,  Hymenasus  and  Alexan- 
der, whom  I  have  remanded  to  Satan  that  he  may  inflict 
139 


I  Timothy  2 :  i  The  Messages 

upon  them  sufferings  which  shall  deter  them  in  the  future 
from  the  profanation  of  sacred  things. 

2.  Directions  Concerning  the  Worship  of  the 
Church  (2) 

Prayer  to  be     The  first  poiut,  then,  which  I  charge  you  to  observe  is 

all  dasse?of  that,  in  the  public  worship,  all  classes  of  men  be  remem- 

J^^"j.y)       bered  in  the  prayers.     Let  God's  guidance  be  asked  for 

rulers  and  magistrates,  that  the  church  may  enjoy  the 

blessings  of  rest  and  peace  in  the  practice  of  all  Christian 

virtues.    The  offering  of  such  prayers  on  behalf  of  all 

men  is  pleasing  to  God,  since  he  desires  the  salvation  of 

all.     For  there  is  one  God,  the  Author  of  salvation  for 

all,  and  one  Mediator,  Christ  Jesus,  who  himself  shares 

man's  nature  and  died  to  save  all  men — a  work  of  grace 

which  was  destined  to  be  proclaimed  to  the  world  in 

God's  own  time,  and  for  whose  proclamation  I  solemnly 

declare  that  I  was  divinely  appointed  as  a  herald  and 

messenger  that  I  might  lead  the  heathen  to  believe  on 

Christ. 

Public  wor-       I  further  direct  that,  wherever  Christian  congregations 

comiu°cted    assemble,  the  men  should  offer  up  public  prayer  in  rev- 

by  w5men°*  ^reuce  and   peaceableness.     Also,  that  the  women  ap- 

(2  :  8-15)       pear  in  the  congregation  in  modest  guise  and  demeanor  ; 

not  decked  out  in  artificial  ornaments  and  wearing  costly 

raiment  and  jewels,  but  adorned  (as  Christian  women 

should  be)  with  the  beauty  of  a  good  life.     In  the  public 

Z40 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy  3  :  7 

assembly  the  women  are  to  listen  and  learn  with  all  do- 
cility. I  forbid  them  to  assume  the  function  of  public 
teachers  or  to  assert  their  authority  over  the  men  in  the 
conduct  of  the  affairs  of  the  church,  and  require  that  they 
be  quiet  in  the  assembly.  For  man  was  a  prior,  woman 
a  subsequent, creation  of  God;  moreover,  it  was  not  man, 
but  woman,  who  yielded  to  the  voice  of  the  tempter  ;  but 
she  shall  realize  her  salvation,  not  by  assuming  the  func- 
tions of  public  life,  but  by  keeping,  in  all  faithfulness  and 
simplicity,  to  her  allotted  sphere  as  wife  and  mother. 

3.  The  Qualifications  and  Duties  of  Church  Officers  (3) 

The  high  estimation  in  which  the  office  of  overseer  is  The  quaU- 
held  in  the  church  is  well  warranted.  Among  the  quali-  iJToveJ^Jers 
fications  required  in  one  who  would  assume  this  office  ^^ "  ^"'^ 
are :  purity  of  private  life,  generosity,  capacity  for  teach- 
ing, peaceableness,  freedom  from  greed,  ability  to  govern 
his  own  household  and  to  restrain  his  children  from  all 
lawless  and  froward  action  (for  how  could  one  administer 
the  affairs  of  the  church  who  cannot  regulate  his  own 
household  ?),  and  experience  in  Christian  work,  so  that  he 
may  not,  by  reason  of  his  conceit,  expose  himself  to  the 
divine  judgment  which  Satan  through  his  pride  incurred. 
Moreover,  he  must  sustain  a  good  reputation  among  those 
outside  the  church,  so  as  not  to  fall  a  prey  to  the  wiles  of 
the  tempter.  Deacons,  too,  must  be  honorable,  straight- 
forward, temperate,  free  from  covetousness,  keeping  the 
141 


I  Timothy  3 :  8  The  Messages 

Those  re-     treasure  of  Christian  truth  in  purity  of  heart.     The  office 
deacons"      should  not  be  assumed  except  by  those  whose  fideUty  has 
(3 :  8-13)      ijggj^  ^glj  proved.     Their  wives,  also,  must  possess  the 
moral  qualities  which  have  been  mentioned.     Deacons,  I 
repeat,  must  be  exemplary  in  private  and  family  life,  for 
the  faithful  discharge  of  their  office  leads  to  an  honorable 
position  in  the  church  and  to  the  confident  assurance — 
grounded  upon  faith  in  Christ— of  the  church's  appre- 
ciation. 
teSce'^fSb-      ^  ^"^  writing  in  the  hope  of  visiting  you  soon ;  but  if  I 
serving        am  prevented  from  doing  so,  these  written  instructions  will 

these  direc-  ^  ° 

tions  serve  to  show  you  how  to  regulate  the  worship  and  gov- 

^^  ■  '^"*  ernment  of  the  church,  which  is  the  support  and  preserver 
of  the  divine  truth.  And  this  secret  of  God's  truth  as 
revealed  in  Christ  is  confessedly  deep  and  weighty,  includ- 
ing (as  one  of  our  hymns  expresses  it)  the  facts  of  his 
incarnation,  his  attestation  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  minis- 
tration of  angels  to  him,  the  preaching  of  his  gospel  to 
the  heathen,  its  wide-spread  reception  and  his  glorious 
ascension. 

4.  Errors  to  be  Avoided  and  Rebuked  (4) 

dan*erouT  *     ^°^  '^  *^  expressly  foretold  in  prophecy  that  in  the  clos- 

form  of  de-   ing  period  of  this  present  age  some  will  relinquish  their  trust 

(4 : 1-5)        1^  Christ  and  give  themselves  over  to  the  evil  influences  of 

demoniacal  powers,  being  led  astray  by  pretentious  false 

teachers  who  are  well  aware  of  their  own  wickedness  and 

142 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy  4:13 

guilt.  Among  their  erroneous  teachings  is  their  prohibi- 
tion of  marriage  and  their  insistence  upon  ascetic  absti- 
nence from  certain  kinds  of  food  which  God  created  for 
man's  use,  and  which  Christians  should  gratefully  receive 
and  enjoy.  For  all  the  provisions  of  God  for  man's  life 
are  wholesome,  and  should  be  gratefully  accepted  and 
used,  for  they  are  made  holy  by  the  partaker's  solemn 
words  of  thanksgiving. 

If  you  impress  these  truths  upon  the  minds  of  your  fel-  spiritual  dis- 
low-Christians,  you  will  prove  yourself  an  acceptable  ser-  earnest  ef- 
vant  of  Christ,  mature  in  the  Christian  life  and  knowledge  erabfr  ^"^^ 
in  which  you  have  been  nurtured.     Pay  no  heed  to  the  ^"^  •  ^^^^ 
irreverent  and  silly  myths  of  the  false  teachers.      Train 
yourself  in  spirituality ;   for  though  physical  gymnastics 
have  a  temporary  value  for  our  present  welfare,  spiritual 
training  secures  benefits  both  for  the  present  and  for  the 
future  life.     This  is  a  statement  whose  truth  none  can 
gainsay.     That  we  may  achieve  this  heavenly  good  we 
toil  and  struggle,  being  moved  thereto  by  our  hope  in 
God's  salvation,  which  is  freely  offered  to  all ;  but  is  real- 
ized by  those  who  believe  on  Christ.     Enforce  these  prin- 
ciples in  your  instruction.     So  conduct  yourself  that  no 
one  shall  lose  respect  for  you  on  account  of  your  youth  ; 
in  public  and  private  life  set  a  good  example  before  your 
fellow-Christians.     While  I  am  absent  be  diligent  in  the 
public  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  in  the  work  of  relig- 
ious instruction.     Do  not  fail  to  use  God's  gracious  gift 
143 


I  Timothy  4:14  The  Messages 

for  teaching  and  administration,  which  the  Spirit  bestowed 
upon  you  in  accordance  with  a  prophecy  which  was  spoken 
when  the  body  of  elders,  by  the  imposition  of  their  hands, 
set  you  apart  to  your  office.  Bear  these  exhortations 
steadfastly  in  mind  and  carefully  observe  them,  that  all 
may  note  your  attainments  in  Christian  grace  and  knowl- 
edge. Have  careful  regard  to  your  own  life  and  to  the 
work  of  instruction  of  which  you  have  supervision.  Be 
true  to  all  the  duties  which  I  have  enjoined  upon  you,  and 
you  will  thereby  further  both  your  own  salvation  and  that 
of  those  committed  to  your  guidance. 

5.    Rules  for  the  Administration  of  the  Church  (5) 
Directions        Accord  to  the  persons  of  your  charge  the  consideration 

for  the  just  ,  *;  .    ,  ^  •  .     ■  j 

andgener-  and  treatment  which  are  appropriate  to  their  age  and 
menfof  position.  Have  a  special  care  for  those  widows  who  are 
(^'ftl)  utterly  destitute  and  dependent.  In  cases  where  widows 
have  children  or  grandchildren  who  can  support  them, 
they  should  be  enjoined  to  do  so,  thus  making  return  for 
what  their  parents  had  done  for  them  ;  God's  blessing  is 
promised  upon  such  a  fulfilment  of  filial  duty.  Now  the 
widow  who  is  wholly  dependent  and  friendless  puts  her 
trust  in  God  alone  and  worships  and  serves  him  continu- 
ally ;  while  she  who  gives  herself  up  to  wanton  pleasures 
abandons  herself  to  moral  death.  Carefully  observe 
these  directions,  that  the  widows  of  your  charge  cause  no 
scandal  in  the  church.     Now  with  respect  to  the  support 

144 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy  5:17 

of  widows,  the  general  principle  is  that  each  person  must 
care  for  his  own  relatives  ;  if  he  does  not,  he  fails  to  show 
the  natural  affection  which  even  the  heathen  exhibit.  Let  The  condi- 
no  widow  be  placed  on  the  list  of  church  pensionaries  who  thd?  sup- 
does  not  fulfil  the  following  conditions  :  She  must  be  PJurch  ^^^ 
not  less  than  sixty  years  of  age,  must  have  lived  an  un-  (5 :  9-16) 
sullied  conjugal  life,  and  must  be  well  attested  as  one  who 
has  reared  and  trained  her  own  children  well,  shown  gen- 
erosity, served  her  fellow-believers,  comforted  the  sorrow- 
ing, and,  in  short,  as  having  lived  a  life  of  faithful  Chris- 
tian service.  Do  not  enroll  widows  who  are  under  sixty, 
for  they  are  likely  to  turn  away  from  Christ  to  worldly 
pleasures,  and  to  marry  again,  and  thus  to  incur  the  blame 
of  forsaking  their  allegiance  to  Christ.  Thus  they  readily 
form  habits  of  laziness,  gossiping,  meddlesomeness,  and 
recklessness  in  speech.  I  therefore  counsel  that  these 
younger  widows  marry  and  rear  families,  so  as  to  bring 
no  reproach  upon  the  church  ;  for  some  of  them  have  al- 
ready deserted  the  path  of  the  Christian  life.  If  any 
Christian  woman  have  widowed  relatives  dependent  upon 
her,  let  her,  if  possible,  support  them,  that  the  church  may 
be  relieved  from  assuming  their  maintenance,  so  that  it 
can  reserve  its  entire  bounty  for  those  widows  who  have 
no  one  to  provide  for  their  wants. 

Elders  who  faithfully  perform  their  office  of  superin- 
tendency,  deserve  special  praise,  especially  such  as  teach 
and  preach.     For  the  Old  Testament,  in  saying  that  the 

145 


I  Timothy  5  :  i8  The  Messages 

The  appoint-  OX,  while  threshing,  should  not  be  muzzled,  recognizes  the 
Seatment  of  principle  which  Jesus  proclaimed  when  he  said  that  the 
(5"i?22?     laborer  is  worthy  of  his  reward.     Do  not   entertain   a 
charge  made  against  an  elder,  unless  it  is  supported  by 
the  testimony  of  two  or  three  witnesses.     When  elders 
transgress  the  law  of  the  Christian  life,  rebuke  them  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  church,  that  all  may  be  warned  of 
the  peril  of  such  action.     I  solemnly  charge  you  to  ob- 
serve these  directions  and  to  apply  them  without  unjust 
discrimination.     Avoid  all  haste  in  setting  men  apart  to 
church  offices,  so   as  not  to  incur  blame  if  they  prove 
unworthy  ;  preserve  yourself  from  all  such  partnership  in 
Necessity  of  their  wrong-doing.     Give  up  the  ascetic  rule  of  drinking 
gJodfx^am-  water  only,  and  for  the  benefit  of  your  health   make  a 

pie  to  others  moderate  use  of  wine.     The  sins  of  some  men  are  mani- 

(5  '•  23-25) 

fest  before  the  eyes  of  all  and  herald  their  coming  judg- 
ment, while  those  of  others  are  concealed  and  await  the 
disclosure  of  their  real  character.  Similarly,  the  good 
deeds  of  some  are  known  and  recognized  beforehand, 
while  those  of  others,  though  for  the  time  unobserved,  are 
certain  to  come  to  light  at  the  judgment. 

6.   The  Application  of  Christian  Principles  to  Practical 

Problems  (6) 

The  duty  of  Christian  slavcs  must  accord  to  their  masters  all  due 
tian^lave  respect  and  obedience,  so  as  not  to  bring  reproach  upon 
<^  •  ^'  ')       the  gospel.     Those  who  have  Christian  masters  must  not 

146 


of  the  Apostles  i  Timothy  6 :  lo 

disregard  their  obligations  to  them  on  the  ground  that 
their  superiors  are  fellow-Christians,  but,  rather,  render 
them  all  due  service  just  because  the  masters  who  receive 
the  service  are  Christian  brethren.  These  warnings  must 
be  emphasized  in  your  teaching. 

Reverting  to  the  errors  of  which  I  was  speaking,  I  re-  The  dan- 
peat  that  those  who  offer  you  a  different  teaching  from  arice  and 
the  wholesome  gospel  of  Christ  and  the  doctrine  which  (e";  3.i°o" 
is  promotive  of  piety,  do  so  from  pride  and  ignorance. 
They  have  a  morbid  appetite  for  idle  disputations  and 
wranglings,  which  only  serve  to  stir  up  evil  passions  and 
to  promote  violent  collisions  among  those  base  and  false 
men  who  regard  religion  as  a  means  of  worldly  gain. 
But  the  true  good  in  life  is  secured  by  piety  coupled  with 
a  contented  mind ;  for  why  should  we  be  greedy  of  earth- 
ly gain  }  It  is  merely  granted  to  man  for  a  little  while 
and  must  soon  be  surrendered.  How  much  better  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  supply  of  our  needs  than  to  crave  after 
riches !  For  those  who  make  the  possession  of  wealth 
their  goal  in  life  expose  themselves  to  many  perils  and 
evils  which  often  overwhelm  them  in  moral  ruin.  For 
from  avarice  springs  every  sort  of  sin,  and  some  have 
been  beguiled  by  it  into  renouncing  their  Christian  pro- 
fession and  have  thus  brought  upon  themselves  bitter  pain 
and  shame. 

But  do  thou,  the  Lord's  servant,  avoid  avarice  and  its 
consequences,  and  pursue,  instead,  the   great  Christian 
147 


I  Timothy  6:  11-21 


The  Chris-     virtUCS 
tian's  call  to 
faithfulness 
and  purity 
(6  :  11-16) 


The  right 
use  of 
wealth 
(6  :  17-19) 


Parting  in- 
structions 
(6  :  20,  21) 


Manfully  wage  the  warfare  to  which  your  faith 
inspires  you,  making  the  life  eternal  the  goal  of  your 
striving,  for  to  this  were  you  summoned  at  your  conver- 
sion and  committed  by  your  public  confession  of  Christ. 
I  charge  you  before  God,  the  source  of  all  life,  and  before 
Christ,  who  fearlessly  professed  his  Messiahship  before 
the  Roman  procurator,  to  keep  the  Christian  law  unsullied 
and  inviolate  till  the  Lord's  return,  which,  in  due  time, 
shall  be  brought  to  pass  by  our  great  and  mighty  God,  to 
whom,  changeless,  supremely  glorious,  majestic,  and  in- 
visible, be  ascribed  praise  and  dominion  forever. 

Enjoin  upon  those  who  possess  worldly  wealth  not  to 
be  proud  on  this  account,  and  not  to  trust  in  their  perish- 
ing possessions,  but  to  trust  in  God,  who  gives  abundance 
of  this  world's  goods,  not  that  we  may  be  proud  of  them, 
but  that  we  may  rightly  enjoy  and  use  them.  Charge 
them  to  practise  benevolence,  to  seek  the  wealth  of  good 
works,  to  be  generous  and  sympathetic,  thus  storing  up 
for  themselves,  as  a  ground  of  reward,  a  treasure  of  good 
deeds,  that  they  may  attain  the  true,  heavenly  life. 

And  do  you,  O  Timothy,  keep  fast  hold  of  the  whole- 
some teaching  which  has  been  intrusted  to  you.  Avoid 
irreverent  and  empty  word-strifes  and  the  contradictions 
and  conflicts  of  the  false  teachers  who  offer  you  a  pre- 
tentious and  spurious  knowledge  by  which  some  have 
already  been  beguiled  from  their  allegiance  to  Christ. 
May  his  grace  be  yours. 

148 


THE  EPISTLE  TO   TITUS 


THE   EPISTLE   TO  TITUS 


TITUS   AND    HIS   MISSION    IN    CRETE 

The  information  which  the  New  Testament  furnishes 
us  concerning  the  apostles's  assistant  to  whom  this  letter 
of  advice  and  encouragement  was  addressed,  is  quite 
meagre.  From  Gal.  2  :  i,  3,  we  learn  that  he  was  closely 
associated  with  Paul  and  Barnabas  at  Antioch  during  their 
missionary  labors  there  (Acts  11  :  19  ff.).  and  that  he  ac- 
companied them  to  Jerusalem  when  they  went  up  to  attend 
the  famous  apostolic  council  (Acts  15;  Gal.  2).  Titus 
was  a  Greek,  possibly  a  Cretan,  and  the  question  whether 
he  should  be  circumcised  or  not  was  made  a  test-case  re- 
garding the  whole  problem  of  the  relation  of  Gentile  con- 
verts to  the  church.  Paul  implies  (Gal.  2  :  3)  that  there 
were  Judaizers  who  demanded  his  circumcision  in  con- 
formity with  their  maxim  that  unless  Gentile  converts 
were  circumcised  and  kept  the  law  of  Moses,  they  could 
not  be  saved  (Acts  15:1).  To  this  demand,  which  the 
primitive  apostles  did  not  support,  Paul  refused  to  yield, 
and  thus  a  signal  victory  was  gained   for  the  apostle's 

151 


Titus  The  Messages 

principle  tiiat  Christians  need  not  become  Jews,  since 
faith  in  Christ  is  the  sole  condition  of  salvation. 

During  Paul's  missionary  tours  Titus  was  one  of  his 
most  trusted  assistants.  On  three  occasions  he  was  sent 
by  the  apostle  to  Corinth  on  missions  of  peculiar  delicacy 
and  difficulty  owing  to  the  disturbed  condition  of  the  Co- 
rinthian church  (2  Cor.  2  :  13  ;  8  :  6 ;  12  :  i8).  The  suc- 
cess of  his  efforts  at  reforming  the  abuses  at  Corinth  and 
in  making  the  collection  for  the  poor  Christians  at  Jeru- 
salem testifies  to  his  ability,  tact,  and  strength  of  character, 
and  justifies  the  confidence  and  affection  which  the  apostle 
reposed  in  him. 

After  the  time  to  which  the  passages  just  cited  refer, 
we  hear  nothing  more  of  Titus  until  he  appears  in  our 
epistle  as  the  superintendent  of  the  churches  in  the  island 
of  Crete.  He  is  said  to  have  been  left  there  by  the  apos- 
tle that  he  might  "  set  in  order  the  things  that  were  want- 
ing, and  appoint  elders  in  every  city  "  (i  :  5).  He  is  ad- 
dressed as  Paul's  "  true  child  after  a  common  faith  "  (i  :  4). 
He  is  instructed  in  the  epistle  concerning  the  duties  of  his 
office,  but  these  admonitions  and  advices  are  less  personal 
than  are  those  which  are  addressed  to  Timothy  in  the 
First  Epistle  and  therefore  throw  less  light  upon  his  per- 
sonality. Of  the  Cretans  among  whom  Titus  was  called 
to  labor  we  have  no  knowledge  beyond  the  very  meagre 
information  which  may  be  gleaned  from  this  letter.  They 
are  described  as  a  very  coarse  people  by  one  of  their  own 

152 


of  tJie  Apostles  Titus 

prophets  or  soothsayers  (i  :  12),  and  the  whole  tone  of 
the  epistle  would  lead  us  to  think  that  they  proved  an  easy 
prey  for  the  corrupt  leaders  who  sought  to  turn  them 
aside  from  *'  the  wholesome  teaching  "  of  the  gospel. 

II 

THE    PECULIARITIES    OF    THE    EPISTLE 

In  general,  the  peculiarities  of  the  epistle  to  Titus  are 
the  same  as  those  which  mark  the  first  letter  to  Timothy. 
The  two  epistles  are  closely  kindred  in  subject,  contents, 
and  purpose,  and  probably  belong  together  in  time  and 
authorship.  The  same  use  of  terms  is  characteristic  of 
both — "the  faith,"  "God  our  Saviour,"  "the  sound  doc- 
trine," and  "  the  trustworthy "  or  "  wholesome  word." 
The  same  ecclesiastical  arrangements  and  interests  are  re- 
flected— the  separate  mention  of  elders  and  "  the  bishop," 
warnings  against  corrupt  Jewish  ascetics,  and  directions 
respecting  the  conduct  of  various  classes  of  persons  in  the 
church.  The  instructions  given  with  reference  to  these 
subjects  are  less  detailed  than  in  First  Timothy,  and  some 
topics  which  find  a  place  in  that  letter  are  quite  wanting  in 
the  Epistle  to  Titus,  as,  for  example,  the  subjects  recom- 
mended for  public  prayer  (i  Tim.  2  :  i,  2),  the  directions 
that  the  prayers  of  the  congregation  be  led  by  the  men 
and  that  the  women  "  learn  in  quietness  with  all  subjec- 

153 


Titus  The  Messages 

tion"  (i  Tim.  2:8-15).  The  character  required  in  a 
bishop,  or  overseer,  is  depicted  in  much  the  same  terms 
in  both  epistles  (i  Tim.  3:1-7;  Titus  i  :  7-9).  but  no 
mention  is  made  of  deacons  in  Titus  (compare  i  Tim. 
3  :  8-10).  The  quahfications  of  elders  are  very  briefly 
sketched  in  Titus  (i  :  6) — the  terms  used  closely  resem- 
bling those  which  are  applied  to  the  bishop  in  First  Tim- 
othy (3  :  2-5) — while  in  First  Timothy  we  find  not  so 
much  a  statement  of  the  qualifications  of  elders,  as  a  de- 
scription of  the  dignity  belonging  to  them  and  of  the  way 
in  which  they  should  be  treated  (i  Tim.  5  :  17-20).  The 
order  of  widows,  which  is  so  prominent  a  theme  in  First 
Timothy  (5  : 3-16),  does  not  appear  at  all  in  the  letter  to 
Titus.  Nor  are  the  rich,  who  are  so  solemnly  warned  in 
First  Timothy  against  pride  and  covetousness  (6  :  9,  10, 
17-19),  mentioned  in  the  shorter  epistle.  The  same  loose 
arrangement  of  materials  is  noticeable  in  both  epistles, 
although  it  is  more  marked  in  the  former.  In  Titus  the 
following  is  the  order  of  subjects:  After  the  salutation 
(I  :  1-4)  comes  the  description  of  the  qualifications  of 
elders  and  the  bishop  (i  :  5-9)  and  then  a  picture  of  the 
false  teachers  (i  :  10-16).  They  are  described  as  Jewish 
— "of  the  circumcision,"  "  giving  heed  to  Jewish  fables  " 
(i  :  10,  14) — and,  yet,  into  the  midst  of  the  description  is 
thrust  a  characterization  of  the  Cretans  by  "  one  of  their 
own  prophets  "(1:12).  Then  follow  directions  concern- 
ing the  duties  of  aged  women,  young  women  and  servants 
154 


of  the  Apostles  Titus 

(ch.  2),  and  exhortations  to  the  cultivation  of  various  Chris- 
tian virtues  (3  :  i-ii).  The  epistle  ends  with  personal 
greetings  and  a  benediction  (3  :  12-15).  We  observe  that, 
throughout,  "  the  sound  doctrine  "  is  the  constantly  recur- 
ring note.  The  elders  and  the  bishop  must  have  certain 
qualities  in  order  that  the  "  faithful  word  "  (i  :  9)  may  be 
maintained.  The  false  teachers  must  be  refuted  and  the 
appropriate  duties  of  the  various  classes  in  the  church 
performed,  in  the  interest  of  "  the  sound  doctrine  "(2:1, 
8,  10).  Very  noticeable,  too,  is  the  repeated  recommen- 
dation of  "  good  works  "  (3  :  8, 14). 


Ill 

AUTHORSHIP    AND   DATE 

The  question  of  the  authorship  and  date  of  our  epistle 
is  substantially  the  same  as  in  the  case  of  First  Timothy. 
In  neither  can  it  be  claimed  that  the  doctrine  is  positively 
unpauline.  In  fact,  certain  passages,  such  as  Titus  3  :  4- 
7  and  I  Timothy  i  :  15, 16,  maybe  regarded  as  summaries 
of  the  apostle's  teaching.  Yet,  the  difficulties  of  attribut- 
ing the  epistles,  in  their  present  form,  to  the  apostle  are, 
as  was  shown  in  the  introduction  to  First  Timothy,  very 
great.  It  is  probable  that  criticism  will  finally  rest  in  the 
supposition  that  certain  oral  or  written  instructions  of  Paul 
for  the  guidance  of  his  helpers  have  been  elaborated  and 

155 


Titus  I :  I 


The  Messages 


incorporated  into  these  pastoral  messages  by  a  writer  who 
adapted  the  principles  contained  in  them  to  the  circum- 
stances and  needs  of  a  somewhat  later  time. 


IV 


THE    MESSAGE    TO    TITUS 


Salutation 
and  blessing 
(I  :  1-4) 


The  ap- 
pointment 
and  qualifi- 
cations of 
elders 
(I  :  5-9) 


I.    The  Regulation  of  the  Churches  and  the  Mainten- 
ance of  a  Pure  Gospel  (i) 

I,  Paul,  whom  God  has  bound  to  his  service,  and  Christ 
has  commissioned  to  promote  the  true  faith  of  God's  peo- 
ple and  the  right  understanding  of  the  wholesome  doc- 
trine which  assures  us  of  the  blessed  life,  which  the  ever 
faithful  God  in  ancient  days  promised  to  his  people,  but 
now  in  his  own  appointed  time  has  revealed  in  the  gospel 
which  he  has  bidden  me  to  preach — invoke  upon  you, 
Titus,  my  true  spiritual  son  in  Christ,  the  blessing  of  God 
our  Father  and  of  Christ  our  Saviour. 

The  purpose  of  my  leaving  you  in  Crete  was  that  you 
should  supply  the  defects  in  the  organization  of  the 
churches  and  carry  out  my  previous  instruction  to  provide 
each  church  with  a  board  of  elders.  Remember  that 
those  only  are  eligible  to  this  office  who  are,  in  their 
moral  life,  above  suspicion,  blameless  in  their  marital  re- 
lations, and  whose  children  are  irreproachable  Christians. 
For  the  overseer  of  the  church  must  be  subject  to  no  ac- 

156 


of  the  Apostles  Titus  2 :  i 

cusation ;  he  must  be  neither  obstinate,  nor  irritable,  nor 
quarrelsome,  nor  avaricious,  but  generous,  kind,  sober- 
minded,  upright,  and  self-controlled,  holding  fast  the 
wholesome  teaching  of  the  gospel,  that  he  may  both  ed- 
ify believers  and  refute  the  false  teachers. 

For  there  are  many  self-willed  errorists,  devoted  to  Current  cor- 
foolish  and  hurtful  questions,  especially  certain  Judaizers,  fife  and^dSc- 
who  ought  to  be  silenced — men  who  lead  whole  families  (""^10-16) 
into  unbelief,  exercising  a  destructive  influence,  and  all 
for  the  sake  of  base  gain.  The  corruption  which  may  be 
found  among  the  Cretans  is  described  by  one  of  their 
own  soothsayers,  who  pronounces  them  a  treacherous, 
rude,  and  sensual  people.  It  is  a  true  indictment.  There- 
fore you  will  need  to  employ  rigorous  measures  to  keep 
them  loyal  to  Christ  and  to  prevent  them  from  being  led 
astray  by  Judaizing  speculations  and  perverse  human 
distinctions  and  abstinences.  To  those  who  have  clean 
hearts  all  outward  things  are  clean  ;  but  for  those  who 
are  inwardly  corrupt  nothing  is  clean,  for  the  impure  mind 
defiles  everything.  These  wicked  men  pretend  to  have 
a  special  knowledge  of  God,  but  by  their  utterly  corrupt, 
detestable,  and  pernicious  deeds  they  completely  belie 
this  profession. 

2.   The  Obligation  of  the  Christian  Believer  (2) 

Let  your  instruction  be  in  accord  with   the  healthful 
teaching  of  the  gospel.     Require  the  aged  men  to  prac- 
157 


Titus  2  :  I  The  Messages 

Maxims  for  tisc  sclf-control,  to  maintain  a  Christian  bearing,  and  to 
ancfof  the  evince  the  virtues  of  faith,  love,  and  endurance.  Exhort 
f^®^  X  the  aged  women  also  to  conduct  themselves  in  a  manner 
befitting  their  profession,  to  avoid  slander  and  excess  in 
Duties  of  wine-drinking,  and  to  instruct  others  in  the  way  of  Chris- 
w*ives^  tian  virtue.     Bid  them  to  admonish  the  young  women  of 

(2 :  3-5)        their  Juty  to  love  their  husbands  and  children,  and  to  be 
discreet,  chaste,  domestic,  and  obedient  to  their  husbands, 
in  order  that  the  gospel  may  suffer  no  reproach  on  ac- 
count of  their  conduct.     Let  the  younger  men  be  taught 
Necessity  of  sclf-control.     Do  you  yourself  set  before  others  a  good 
good"fx*      Christian  example  in  all  respects ;  let  your  teaching  be 
rr-^6^8)       pure,  chaste,  and,  both  in  its  form  and  matter,  free  from 
everything  which  is  at  variance  with  the  gospel,  in  order 
that  your  adversaries  may  be  disarmed  by  the  irreproach- 
Obiigations  able  character  of  your  life  and  teaching.    Bondmen  should 
Oz  ?9,^io)     be  taught  to  obey  and  to  please  their  masters ;  not  to  ob- 
ject to  performing  their  duties,  nor  to  pilfer  from  their  su- 
periors, but  to  render  them  just  and  faithful  service,  that 
their  conduct  may  in  all  respects  do  honor  to  the  gospel. 
For  the  revelation  of  God's  all-embracing,  saving  purpose, 
The  motives  which  has  been  made  in  Christ,  has  shown  us  that  we 
liv^ing^         must  renounce  the  wicked  and  corrupt  life  and  live  purely 
(2 :  H-15)     ^j^^  uprightly  during  this  brief  and  evil  age,  while  we 
eagerly  expect  the  glorious  advent  of  Christ,  our  divine 
Saviour,  who  died  to  save  us  from  all  sin  and  to  acquire 
for  himself  a  holy  people,  devoted  to  good  deeds. 

158 


of  the  Apostles  Titus  3:11 

Demand  the  observance  of  these  instructions.     Permit 
no  one  to  treat  them  lightly. 

3.  Practical  Duties  ;  Farewell  Greetings  (3) 

Remind  the  Christians  of  Crete  to  be  obedient  to  their  The  duty  of 
Roman  magistrates,  to  stand  ready  to  do  every  duty,  not  lawful  au- 
to revile  anyone,  not  to  be  quarrelsome,  but  peaceable,  ofTourSy 
displaying  toward  all  classes  of  men  a  spirit  of  gentleness  (3  : 1-3) 
and  compassion.     For  before  we  became  Christians  we, 
too,  lived  in  the  folly,  disobedience,  and  moral  degradation 
of  the  sinful  life.     But  from  this  wretched  life  God  in  his  Grathude 

for  divine 

goodness  and  love  rescued  us,  not  by  reason  of  our  good  mercy  a  mo- 
deeds,  but  by  his  grace  working  through  the  cleansing  Smies 
power  of  his  Spirit,  bestowed  on  us  in  Christ ;  thus  were  ^^  '•  4-7) 
we  saved  and  assured  of  eternal  life  by  God's  undeserved 
favor.    Trustworthy  is  this  word  concerning  God's  gra-  Factionai- 
cious  salvation,  and  of  its  meaning  for  conduct  and  char-  pSa^ron  ti*" 
acter  I  wish  you  to  be  confidently  assured,  so  that  you  fj:*8-°iO^^ 
may  teach  the  believers  under  your  charge  to  live  a  good 
life.    These  instructions  are  wholesome  and  useful ;  but 
the  vain  disputings,  speculations,  and  contentions  of  the 
false  teachers  avoid,  for  they  are  utterly  profitless.    A  man 
who  continues  to  foment  discord  after  being  reprimanded 
a  second  time,  you  need  not  further  admonish,  since  it  is 
evident  that  he  is  deliberately  sinning  with  a  full  con- 
sciousness of  his  guilt,  and  cannot  be  recovered. 
When  Artemas  and  Tychicus  arrive  in  Crete,  be  sure 
159 


Titus  3  :  12-15 

Personal  to  comc  and  visit  me  at  Nicopolis ;  for  I  purpose  to 
(3  :  12-14)  spend  the  winter  there.  Take  pains  to  equip  Zenas  and 
ApoUos  for  their  journey,  so  that  they  may  be  provided 
with  whatever  they  need.  And  let  our  fellow-believers 
in  Crete  be  careful  to  practise  benevolence  for  the  relief 
of  those  in  want,  thereby  showing  that  their  faith  is  living 
and  productive. 

Farewell  ^ 

and  benedic     AH  my  Companions  salute  you.     Give  my  greetings  to 
(3T15)        my  beloved  fellow-Christians.     Grace  be  with  you  all. 


160 


THE  SECOND   EPISTLE  TO 
TIMOTHY 


THE   SECOND   EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY 


THE    QUESTION    OF    A    SECOND    IMPRISONMENT    OF 
PAUL 

We  have  seen  that  there  is  no  place  for  the  Pastoral 
Epistles  in  the  framework  of  Paul's  life  which  is  furnished 
by  the  Book  of  Acts  and  his  first  ten  epistles.  If  they 
are  genuine,  either  in  whole  or  in  part,  they  must  belong 
to  a  period  subsequent  to  the  imprisonment  in  Rome 
described  in  Acts  28  during  which  Colossians,  Philemon, 
Ephesians,  and  Philippians  were  composed.  Was  there 
such  a  period  ? 

Why  the  Book  of  Acts  breaks  off  so  abruptly  we  do  not 
know.  It  is  extremely  improbable  that  it  could  have  been 
the  deliberate  design  of  the  author  to  close  his  work  by 
saying  that  during  his  two  years  of  mild  imprisonment 
the  apostle  continued  his  work  of  preaching  and  teaching, 
no  one  preventing  him  (Acts  28  :  30,  31).  Nor  is  it 
likely  that  the  author  stopped  here  because  Paul  was  put 
to  death  at  the  end  of  the  two  years  mentioned.  If  this 
had  been  the  case,  it  is  almost  inconceivable  that  the 
163 


2  Timothy  The  Messages 

writer  should  not  have  mentioned  the  fact.  The  most 
reasonable  supposition  is  that  in  breaking  off  his  narrative 
of  Paul's  life  so  abruptly,  Luke  did  not  think  of  the  events 
mentioned  at  the  end  of  the  narrative  as  the  last  in  the 
apostle's  career;  that  is,  that  Paul's  life  was  prolonged 
beyond  the  point  to  which  he  had  brought  down  the  his- 
tory of  it.  If  this  were  so,  then  it  is  certainly  possible 
that  the  messages  to  Timothy  and  Titus  belong,  as  they 
purport  to  do,  in  this  closing  p«riod  of  the  apostle's 
career. 

But  we  are  not  wholly  dependent  upon  such  uncertain 
conjectures.  We  have  seen  that  during  the  Roman  im- 
prisonment just  referred  to,  Paul  confidently  expected  to 
be  very  soon  set  at  liberty.  He  asks  Philemon  at  Colos- 
sae  to  make  ready  a  lodging  for  him,  for,  he  adds,  he  ex- 
pects soon  to  visit  him  {v.  22).  He  expresses  to  the  Phi- 
lippians  the  same  confident  expectation  of  release  (Phil. 
I  :  25  ;  2  :  24).  These  passages  show  that  during  the 
two  years  mentioned  at  the  close  of  Acts,  the  apostle  had 
what  seemed  to  him  good  reasons  to  anticipate  a  speedy 
and  favorable  verdict,  and  that,  in  view  of  these  reasons, 
he  had  planned  to  visit  the  distant  regions  of  Macedonia 
and  Asia  Minor.  To  this  it  may  be  answered :  We  can- 
not conclude  from  the  fact  that  a  man,  and,  especially,  a 
prisoner,  formed  plans  of  travel  that  he  actually  carried 
them  out.  We  know  that  Paul  many  times  planned  to 
visit  Rome  before  he  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans 
164 


of  the  Apostles  2  Timothy 

(Rom.  I  :  13),  but  was  prevented  from  doing  so,  and  that 
he  changed  from  time  to  time  his  plans  of  travel  after 
they  were  definitely  formed  (2  Cor,  i  :  16,  17).  But  this 
answer  has  little  positive  weight.  The  confident  expecta- 
tion of  the  apostle,  on  the  contrary,  does  justify  the  pre- 
sumption that  he  was  set  at  liberty.  In  the  absence  of 
the  slightest  proof  or  even  probability  to  the  contrary,  we 
may  say  that  the  reasons  which  Paul  had  for  predicting  a 
speedy  release  are  presumptive  reasons  for  believing  that 
he  was  released. 

But  there  is  one  more  consideration  bearing  on  the  ques- 
tion. We  know  that  Paul  cherished  a  set  purpose  to  visit 
Spain  (Rom.  1 5  :  28).  We  also  know  that  if  he  ever  car- 
ried this  purpose  into  effect  he  must  have  done  so  after  be- 
ing released  from  the  imprisonment  mentioned  in  Acts  28. 
Now,  there  is  an  early  church  tradition  to  the  effect  that 
Paul  did  visit  the  extreme  West  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
missionary  labors.  This  tradition  finds  expression  in  the 
oldest  extra-canonical  Christian  writing,  composed  about 
A.  D.  95,  the  Epistle  of  Clement  to  the  Corinthians,  which 
states  that  the  apostle  travelled  to  the  bounds  of  the  West  * 
(Chs.  5,  6 ;  compare  the  Epistle  of  Ignatius  to  the  Ro- 
mans 2:2).  Within  the  known  Hfe  of  the  apostle  he 
never  went  further  westward  than  Rome,  but  the  phrase 
of  Clement  can  hardly  refer  to  Paul's  journey  to  Rome, 
since  Clement  himself  resided  in  Rome  and  wrote  his  epis- 

»  The  phrase  which  Clement  uses  is :  koI  «iri  t5  ripua  t^s  fivacwc  eMuv. 

165 


2  Timothy  The  Messages 

tie  from  that  city.  That  a  Roman  should  describe  the 
journey  of  a  Palestinian  to  Rome  as  a  visit  to  the  bounds 
of  the  West  is  extremely  improbable.  The  phrase  used 
bore  a  well-defined  meaning.^  We  may  conclude,  then, 
that,  in  all  probability,  Paul  was  acquitted  at  his  trial 
which  occurred  in  or  about  the  year  63  and  went  forth 
again  to  his  missionary  work,  and  that,  later,  he  was  again 
apprehended  and  taken  to  Rome,  where  he  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom as  related  by  the  uniform  and  unquestioned  eccle- 
siastical tradition  of  early  Christian  literature.  This  is  a 
conclusion  in  which  two  such  eminent  and  widely  diverg- 
ing scholars  as  Zahn  and  Harnack  agree. 


II 

THE    apostle's    FAREWELL 

There  is,  then,  a  place  in  the  life  of  Paul  for  the  Pasto- 
ral Epistles.  The  question  concerning  them  takes  this 
form  :  Are  their  characteristics  such  as  make  it  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  Paul  composed  them  during  this  closing 
period  of  his  life  ?  We  have  seen  that  many  difficulties 
beset  this  supposition  in  the  case  of  First  Timothy  and 
Titus,  and  that  the  theory  of  an  elaboration  and  adaptation 
made  by  a  later  hand,  of  notes  or  memoranda  addressed 

1  Students  who  are  interested  In  the  question  should  consult  on  this  point 
Zahn's  Einleitung  in  das  Neue  Testament,  i.  447,  448. 
166 


of  the  Apostles  2  Timothy 

by  the  apostle  to  these  assistants,  is  gaining  favor  among 
scholars.  We  have  now  briefly  to  review  Second  Tim- 
othy. 

After  the  salutation  (1:1,  2),  Timothy  is  admonished 
to  continue  steadfast  in  the  same  faith  which  has  sustained 
the  apostle  in  all  his  sufferings  (i  :  3-14).  Then,  after 
some  personal  references  (i  :  15-18),  he  is  again  exhorted 
to  courage  and  constancy  (2  :  1-13),  and  is  warned  to 
avoid  foolish  word-strifes  and  hurtful  errors  and  to  culti- 
vate, instead,  the  Christian  virtues  (2  :  14-26).  Next,  the 
corrupt  men  whose  errors  Timothy  is  exhorted  to  avoid 
and  oppose  are  more  particularly  described  (3  :  i  to  4  :  5), 
and  the  exhortation  is  enforced  by  a  pathetic  prediction  of 
the  apostle's  approaching  end  (4  :  6-8).  Several  personal 
observations  and  greetings  (4  :  9-22)  bring  the  letter  to  a 
close. 

While  Second  Timothy  shares,  in  general,  the  peculiari- 
ties which  are  characteristic  of  First  Timothy  and  Titus,  it 
is  decidedly  more  orderly,  compact,  and  straightforward  in 
the  movement  of  its  ideas  and  more  vigorous  and  energetic 
in  thought.  The  pictures  given  of  Timothy's  early  life  and 
training  (i :  5  ;  3  :  14, 15),  and  of  the  apostle's  various  expe- 
riences (i  :  15-18 ;  2  :  9,  10  ;  4  :  6-18),  bear  all  the  marks 
of  a  sketch  from  life.  There  are  numerous  minor  touches, 
such  as  the  references  to  Paul's  persecutions  and  personal 
relations,  which  are  highly  realistic.  Especially  so  are 
such  allusions  as  that  to  his  former  trial  and  its  favorable 

167 


2  Timothy  The  Messages 

issue  (4  :  1 6,  17),  to  the  cloak  which  he  left  at  Troas  and 
which  he  now  needs  to  defend  him  from  the  dampness  of 
his  cell,  and  to  the  parchment-books  with  which  he  might 
now  relieve  the  tedium  of  his  solitude  (4  :  13).  The  figures 
of  the  soldier,  the  boxer,  and  the  husbandman  (2  :  3-6)  are 
all  favorite  ones  with  the  apostle.  The  references  to  ec- 
clesiastical conditions  which  make  it  so  difficult  to  refer 
First  Timothy  and  Titus,  in  their  present  form,  to  the  apos- 
tle, are  almost  wholly  absent  here.  Nothing  is  said  of  an 
ascetic  Gnosticism,  of  church-rules,  of  the  discipline  of 
elders,  of  clergy  and  laity,  of  bishop  and  presbyter,  of  offi- 
cial lists  of  widows,  or  of  the  church  as  the  chief  support 
of  the  truth.  In  short,  the  epistle  makes  the  impression 
of  a  genuine  communication  of  the  aged  apostle  to  his  be- 
loved disciple,  and  as  such  (after  allowing  for  some  later 
additions)  an  increasing  number  of  scholars  regard  it; 
We  need  not  hesitate,  then,  to  look  upon  this  epistle  as 
the  swan-song  of  the  great  apostle,  his  paean  of  victory 
over  death  which  Christ  had  vanquished  by  bringing  life 
and  incorruption  to  light  through  the  gospel  (i  :  10). 

1  It  may  interest  critical  students  to  know  that  this  is  the  view  now  taken 
by  Professor  Hamack. 


168 


of  the  Apostles  2  Timothy  i  :  8 

III 

THE    SECOND   MESSAGE    TO    TIMOTHY 
I.  Encouragements   in  Sufferings  (i) 

Paul,  a  messenger  of  Christ,  divinely  set  apart  for  the  Salutation 
promotion  of  the  gospel,  to  my  dear  child  Timothy ;  the  ^^  *  ^'  ^^ 
favor  and  blessing  of  God  and  of  Christ  be  with  you. 

I  thank  the  God  of  my  fathers  whom  I  also  faithfully  Thanksgiv- 
serve,  as  I  constantly  remember  you  in  my  prayers  and  Hlh/'Td^TO- 
think  of  the  tears  which  you  shed  at  our  parting,  and  *^°"  ^?  *^^, 

■.  ,  I-  c'  apostle  and 

eagerly  long  for  the  joy  of  seemg  you— I  am  grateful  to  zeal  in  Chris- 
God,  I  say,  for  the  news  which  I  hear,  that  you  are  illus-  {t?^s) 
trating  and  reproducing  the  sincere  faith  which  both  your 
grandmother  and  your  mother  possessed.    My  confidence 
in  your  devotion  leads  me  to  remind  you  to  put  to  use  the  ah  gifts  to 
equipment  for  service  which  God  graciously  bestowed  upon  usedTn^G?d's 
you  at  your  ordination.     For  the  Spirit  which  God  has  f^^^^ 
given  us  does  not  produce  timidity,  but  courage,  self- 
denial,  and  self-restraint.     Do  not  shrink  from  defending 
the  gospei  of  Christ  nor  from  acknowledging  your  relation 
to  me,  his  imprisoned  apostle,  but  prove  yourself  my  fel- 
low-sufferer for  the  gospel,  through  the  grace  of  God, 
which  will  strengthen  us  for  every  trial.     For  to  such  en- 
durance are  we  urged  by  the  fact  that  God  has  saved  us, 
not  because  of  our  deserving,  but  according  to  the  gracious 
169 


2  Timothy  i  :  9  The  Messages 

purpose  which  he  formed  before  the  world  was  and  which 
he  has  now  realized  in  the  coming  of  Christ,  who  has  van- 
quished death  and  assured  us  of  a  blessed  life  through  the 
gospel  for  the  proclamation  of  which  I  have  been  divinely 
commissioned.  Therefore  do  I  suffer  courageously  in  the 
service  of  Christ,  for  in  him  I  have  an  unwavering  trust, 
and  rest  assured  that  he  will  safely  keep  the  sacred  trust 
which  I  have  reposed  in  him  until  the  day  of  his  appear- 
ing. Let  the  healthful  teaching  which  I  have  given  you 
serve  as  your  guide  in  your  Christian  life  and  work. 
Faithfully  fulfil  your  divinely  appointed  work  of  preaching 
and  teaching  by  the  help  of  the  Spirit  which  God  gives 
you. 
The  apos-  You  know  how  I  have  been  forsaken  by  all  the  Asian 
and  true  Christians — among  them  Phygelus  and  Hermogenes.  The 
(JTi'l^s)  Lord's  blessing  be  upon  the  household  of  Onesiphorus, 
who  often  comforted  me,  and  did  not  forsake  me  because 
of  my  imprisonment ;  but  when  he  came  to  Rome  was  all 
the  more  careful,  on  that  account,  to  search  me  out  and 
visit  me — may  he  meet  with  favor  from  Christ  at  his 
coming — and  of  his  kind  services  to  me  at  Ephesus  I 
have  no  need  to  tell  you. 

2.   The   Soldierly    Quality   of  the  Christian  Life 

(2  :  1-13) 
Unlike  those  who  have  proved  unfaithful,  do  you,  my 
spiritual  son,  prove  yourself  a  courageous   champion  of 
170 

/ 


of  the  Apostles  2  Timothy  2  :  13 

the  gospel  through  the  strength  which  Christ  imparts.  The  good 
The  teachings  which  you  have  heard  me  expound,  and  (2^  ^.6)  *'* 
which  many  others  have  attested,  intrust  to  reHable  men, 
who  also  have  the  gift  for  instructing  others.  Like  my- 
self, you  are  a  soldier  of  Christ;  you  must  join  me  in 
suffering  in  his  service.  A  soldier  must  keep  himself 
free  from  all  occupations  except  those  of  military  duty, 
in  order  that  he  may  please  his  commander.  It  is  not 
enough  for  the  athlete  to  take  part  in  the  games ;  if  he  is 
to  win  the  prize,  he  must  contend  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  contest.  The  farmer  who  toils  hard  in  tilling  the 
soil  has  the  first  right  to  the  product  of  his  labor.  Note 
well  the  meaning  of  these  illustrations,  and  the  Lord  will 
enable  you  to  apply  them  in  your  work.  Recall  for  your  The  certain- 
encouragement  the  triumph  of  Christ,  the  Son  of  David,  (^^y^^j""'^^ 
over  death — the  central  truth  of  that  message  for  whose 
sake  I  am  imprisoned  as  an  evil-doer;  but  the  gospel 
itself  goes  on  its  way  unfettered.  Confident  in  its  power 
and  victory,  I  can  patiently  endure  all  manner  of  hard- 
ships, if  thereby  I  may  promote  the  spiritual  good  and 
the  final  salvation  of  my  fellow-believers.  It  is  a  trust- 
worthy saying :  "  If  we  share  Christ's  death,  we  shall 
share  his  life;  if  we  share  his  suffering,  we  shall  share 
his  glory;  if  we  prove  false  to  him,  he  will  disown  us;  if 
we  are  untrue  to  him,  he  will  still  be  true  to  his  word,  for 
he  cannot  act  inconsistently  with  his  own  nature." 

171 


2  Timothy  2  :  14  The  Messages 

3.   The  Christian's  Safeguards  against  False  Doctrine 
and  Life  (2  :  14  to  3  :  17) 

Fruitless  Enjoin  upon  those  under  your  instruction  to  be  true  to 

?ontrovereTes  Christ,  and  solemnly  warn  them  to  avoid  profitless  dis- 
by^the'chris'^- putes  which  can  only  prove  destructive  to  faith.     Spare 
J^^P       .      no  pains  to  prove  yourself  in  God's  service  a  well-tested 
and  acceptable  worker,  correctly  teaching  and  applying 
the  truth  of  the  gospel.     But  avoid  the  fruitless  disputings 
of  the  false  teachers,  for  they  will  go  further  and  further 
in  their  impiety,  and  their  teaching  will  spread  in  the 
church  like  an  eating  ulcer.     Such  men  are  Hymenaeus 
and  Philetus,  men  who  have  wandered  from  the  path  of 
truth  in  teaching  that  the  resurrection  is  a  thing  of  the 
past,  thereby  shaking  the  confidence  of  some  in  a  future 
resurrection.     However,  the  church  which  God  has  es- 
tablished stands   unshaken,  and  on  its   foundations   are 
inscribed  the  divine  declarations  :   "  The  Lord  knows  his 
own,"  and  "  Let  those  who  confess  Christ  live  a  righteous 
Discrimina-   Hfe."     Novv  just  as  in  a  great  mansion  some  of  the  uten- 
eamertness    ^^^^  ^^^  made  of  costly  and  some  of  cheap  materials  ;  some 
succSuf  ^'^  for  higher  and  some  for  lower  uses — so  in  the  congregation 
Christian      there  will  be  found  both  genuine  and  spurious,  both  useful 
(2  :  20-26)     and  useless,  Christians.     If  now  a  believer  will  keep  him- 
self free  from  the  companionship  of  these  counterfeit  be- 
lievers, he  will  prove  himself  to  be  a  valuable  instrument 
for  the  Lord's  work,  always  ready  for  every  honorable 
172 


of  the  Apostles  2  Timothy  3  :  9 

service.  Beware  of  those  evil  desires  to  the  power  of 
which  the  young  are  especially  exposed  ;  cultivate  the  virt- 
ues of  righteousness,  faith,  and  love,  and  preserve  har- 
mony with  all  sincere  worshippers  of  our  Lord.  Avoid 
senseless  and  profitless  disputings  which  only  engender 
angry  contentions.  The  Christian  minister  must  not  be 
contentious,  but  amiable,  devoted  to  teaching,  patient,  in 
kindness  reproving  those  who  oppose  the  gospel,  in  the 
hope  that  they  may  be  brought  through  repentance  to  a 
true  experience  of  salvation,  and  may  be  saved  from  the 
toils  of  Satan,  whose  captives,  forced  to  do  his  bidding, 
they  now  are. 

I  would  remind  you  that  in  the  closing  days  of  the  pres-  The  near  fu- 
ent  age  we  must  look  for  special  outbreaks  of  wickedness.  JiJ^eS  spe^ 
Every  base  and  violent  passion,  every  moral  corruption  f^^  pJ'"'}* 
and  perversion  will  find  expression,  and  counterfeit  piety  teachers 
will  abound.     Have  no  fellowship  with  those  who  illus-  ^ "  ^  ^ 
trate  such  wickedness.     For  it  is  men  of  this  class  who 
insinuate  themselves  into  houses  and  captivate  weak  and 
base  women,  who  are  eager  for  novelty,  but  incapable  of 
attaining  a  real  apprehension  of  divine  truth.     As  the 
sorcerers  Jannes  and  Jambres  sought  to  hinder  the  work 
of  Moses,  so  do  these  corrupt  and  faithless  men  resist  the 
progress  of  the  gospel.     But  their  evil  purpose  will  be 
foiled,  for  their  senselessness,  like  that  of  the  magicians, 
shall  be  plainly  exposed.     In  contrast  to  the  course  of 
these  false  teachers,  recall  the  example  of  my  instruction, 
173 


2  Timothy  3  :  lo  The  Messages 

Timothy's  experience,  and  suffering  for  the  gospel,  for  those  who 
faithTulnis"  will  be  true  to  Christ  must  suffer  for  his  sake.  Quite  dif- 
fsfilTjT""  ferent  is  it  with  those  wicked  and  self-deceived  impostors 
who  plunge  into  ever  deeper  depths  of  wickedness.  But 
do  you  remain  true  to  the  teaching  which  you  received 
from  your  parents,  and  remember  how  from  early  youth 
you  were  trained  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Sacred  Script- 
ures which,  when  read  in  the  light  of  faith  in  Christ,  are 
able  to  show  you  the  true  way  of  salvation.  Since  all 
Scripture  is  divinely  inspired,  it  is  useful  for  increasing 
our  knowledge,  for  rebuking  our  sin,  and  for  disciplining 
us  in  the  religious  life,  so  that  the  Christian  man  may  be 
adequately  equipped  for  every  service  to  which  he  is  called. 

4.    The  Apostle's  Solemn  Final  Charge  (4:1-8) 

Exhortation      I  adjure  you  before  God  and  before  Christ,  the  Judge  of 
nesr*   " '    all  men — yea,  in  the  prospect  the  Lord's  coming  to  judg- 
(4 : 1-8)       ment  and  of  his  glorious  reign,  I  adjure  you  to  be  con- 
stant and  faithful  in  your  work  of  preaching,  teaching, 
and  admonition.     P^or  the  days  are  coming  when  profess- 
ing Christians  will  lose  their  interest  in  the  healthful  gos- 
pel of  Christ,  and  with  eager  and  morbid  curiosity  will 
run  hither  and  thither  after  various  teachers  to  please 
their  fickle  desires,  and  will  desert  the  truth  and  take  up 
with  the  myths  of  the  false  teachers.     But  do  you  be  pru- 
dent, patient,  and  faithful  in  your  work  as  a  preacher  and 
servant  of  the  Master.    For  my  blood  will  soon  be  poured 
174 


of  the  Apostles  2  Timothy  4  :  17 

out  in  martyrdom  ;  I  am  on  the  point  of  leaving  this  world 
to  be  with  the  Christ.  My  conflict  is  over ;  I  stand  at  the 
goal ;  through  all  hardships  and  temptations  I  have  con- 
tinued loyal  to  him  ;  nothing  now  remains  for  me  but 
to  receive  the  reward  of  perfect  blessedness  which  our 
Lord  will  confer  when  he  comes  in  judgment  and  victory 
— a  reward  which  he  will  give  not  to  me  alone,  but  to  all 
who  have  set  their  hearts  on  his  manifestation  and  triumph. 

5.  Concluding  Requests  and  Greetings  (4:9-22) 

Make  every  effort  to  visit  me  soon  ;  for  Demas  in  his  Personal  re. 
desire  for  earthly  good  has  deserted  me  and  gone  to  Thes-  oT^  9.^3) 
salonica.     Both  Crescens  and  Titus  have  also  gone,  and 
I  have  only  Luke  left.     Bring  Mark  with  you  when  you 
come,  for  his  services  are  useful   to  me.     I   have  sent 
Tychicus  to  Ephesus.     When  you  come,  bring  me  the 
travelling-mantle  which  I  left  at  Troas ;  also  the  papyrus- 
books,  and  especially  the  parchment-rolls.     The   brass-  Christ's 
founder  Alexander  did  me  serious  injury ;  the  Lord  re-  to'the"riend- 
ward  him  as  he  deserves.    Be  on  your  guard  against  him,  \l\ll^^^}^ 
for  he  has  been  a  bitter  opponent  of  my  teaching.     At 
my  first  appearance  in  court  no  one  espoused  my  cause, 
but  all   abandoned   me ;    I  pray  that  God  may  forgive 
them.     But  the  Lord  Jesus  was  my  helper  and  gave  me 
courage  and  boldness,  so  that  the  gospel  was  proclaimed 
in  the  capital  and  the  knowledge  of  it  extended  to  the 
heathen ;  and  I  was  saved  from  the  danger  which  threat- 

17s 


2  Timothy  4  :  18-22 

ened  me.     And  the  same  faithful  Master  will  save  me 
from  all  harm  and  make  me  a  sharer  in   his  celestial 
glory.     To  him  be  praise  forever.     Amen. 
Farewell  My  greetings  to  Prisca  and  Aquila  and  to  the  family  of 

^Vig-il)  Onesiphorus.  Erastus  stayed  at  Corinth,  and  Trophimus 
I  left  at  Miletus  sick.  If  possible,  come  to  see  me  before 
winter  comes  on.  Eubulus,  Pudens,  Linus,  Claudia,  and 
all  my  fellow-believers  send  you  their  greetings.  May  the 
Lord  Jesus  bless  you  with  his  presence !  God's  grace  be 
with  all  the  congregation ! 


176 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  HEBREWS 


THE  EPISTLE   TO   THE   HEBREWS 


THE   COURSE   OF    THOUGHT    IN    THE    EPISTLE 

No  epistle  in  the  New  Testament  is  characterized  by  so 
high  a  degree  of  rhetorical  art  as  that  to  the  Hebrews.  It 
is  the  only  epistle  of  which  it  can  be  said  that  it  must 
have  been  constructed  according  to  a  definite  plan,  which 
the  author  elaborated  in  advance.  The  argument,  as  a 
whole,  is  cumulative,  and  all  its  details  are  skilfully  mar- 
shalled and  made  to  bear  upon  the  writer's  main  purpose. 
The  structure  of  the  epistle  can  best  be  exhibited  by  giv- 
ing a  brief  outline  of  the  course  of  thought.  The  author 
begins  with  a  striking  portrayal  of  Christ's  superiority 
in  both  his  person  and  his  work  to  the  Old  Testament 
prophets  (i  :  1-3).  His  description  of  the  dignity  of  the 
Son  leads  him  to  the  discussion  of  his  first  main  topic, 
namely,  a  comparison  of  Christ  with  the  angels,  by  whom, 
according  to  popular  Jewish  belief,  the  legal  system  had 
been  introduced  (i  :  4  to  2  :  18).  For  his  purpose  the 
writer,  here  as  elsewhere,  makes  large  use  of  Old  Testa- 
ment passages,  cited  from  the  Greek  version,  which  he 
179 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

skilfully  weaves  together  and  interprets  according  to  the 
method  of  reading  Messianic  prophecy  which  was  current 
in  his  time.  He  shows  that  Christ  is  called  God's  Son, 
while  angels  are  not  (i  :  4,  5),  that  angels  are  bidden  to 
do  him  homage  (i  :  6),  and  that  they  are  but  the  servants 
of  those  whom  he  redeems  (i  :  14).  Thereupon  he  pauses 
in  the  argument  to  exhort  the  readers  to  be  faithful  to 
Christ  and  his  gospel,  and  solemnly  warns  them  against 
carelessness  and  negligence  by  saying  that  if  disregard  of 
the  law  which  was  given  by  inferior  beings,  the  angels, 
was  punished,  how  much  more  severe  will  be  the  penalty 
of  neglecting  the  salvation  brought  by  the  Messiah  (2  : 1-4). 
He  then  resumes  and  completes  the  comparison  by  show- 
ing that  Christ,  though  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels 
by  his  sufferings  and  death,  has  now  been  crowned  with 
glory  and  honor  at  God's  right  hand  (2:5-18).  We  note 
here  a  pervading  peculiarity  of  the  epistle,  namely,  that 
with  each  division  of  the  argument  is  coupled  an  exhorta- 
tion to  the  readers  to  conform  to  the  conclusion  to  which 
the  argument  leads.  Thus,  in  the  present  instance,  the 
main  thought  of  the  first  two  chapters  is :  Since  Christ  is 
the  Supreme  Revealer  of  God,  be  true  and  steadfast  in 
your  adherence  to  him. 

The  author's  second  main  point  is  the  superiority  of 
Christ  to  Moses.     The  latter  was,  indeed,  a  faithful  ser- 
vant in  God's  house  ;  but  the  position  of  Christ  is  not  that 
of  a  servant,  but  that  of  a  son  (3  :  i-6»).     Thereupon  fol- 
180 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews 

lows,  largely  in  Old  Testament  language  adapted  to  the 
purpose,  the  usual  exhortation  :  Since  we  have  a  greater 
leader  than  Moses,  let  us  not  imitate  the  disobedient 
Israelites  who,  refusing  his  leadership,  perished  in  the 
desert,  but  faithfully  follow  the  Captain  of  our  salvation, 
who  will  safely  lead  us  into  the  blessed  rest  of  the  heav- 
enly Canaan  (3  :  6^  to  4  :  16).  Here  we  note  another  com- 
mon characteristic  of  the  epistle  and  an  example  of  the 
writer's  rhetorical  art,  namely :  He  introduces  into  the 
closing  words  of  his  exhortation  which  is  founded  on  the 
comparison  of  Christ  with  Moses,  an  anticipatory  reference 
to  the  topic  which  he  intends  next  to  discuss.  In  depict- 
ing the  dignity  and  leadership  of  Christ,  he  alludes,  at  the 
close,  to  his  perfect,  heavenly  priesthood,  thus  paving  the 
way  for  the  next  and  most  elaborate  argument  of  the 
epistle,  the  demonstration  that  Christ's  priesthood  is  su- 
perior to  that  of  the  Old  Covenant  (5  to  12). 

This  great  central  section  of  the  epistle  falls  into  sev- 
eral subdivisions.  The  writer  begins  by  showing  that 
Christ  had  certain  characteristics  in  common  with  the 
Aaronic  priests.  Like  them,  he  must  be  a  man  who  can 
sympathize  with  and  represent  those  on  behalf  of  whom 
he  ministers.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  unlike  them,  he 
does  not  need  to  make  an  offering  for  his  own  sins 
(5:1-3).  This  latter  thought  is  only  suggested  here  in 
anticipation  of  a  fuller  development  later  (7  :  26-28). 
Like  the  Old  Testament  priests,  too,  Christ  could  not 
181 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

assume  the  priestly  office  of  himself,  but  must  be  divinely 
appointed  to  it  (5  :  5).  And,  now,  in  showing  how  Jesus 
perfectly  fulfilled  all  the  essentials  of  that  office  (5  :  6-10), 
the  writer  introduces  an  anticipative  reference  to  Melchiz- 
edek,  the  mysterious  priest-king,  who  stands  as  a  type  of 
the  changeless,  eternal  priesthood  of  the  Messiah.  This 
comparison  of  Christ  with  Melchizedek  he  afterward  de- 
velops fully  (7).  Having  thus  shown  that  Christ,  the  heav- 
enly high -priest,  is  the  perfect  Mediator  of  salvation,  he 
introduces  again  the  constantly  recurring  warning  and  ex- 
hortation to  the  readers  to  persevere  and  grow  in  Chris- 
tian knowledge  and  virtue  and  to  lay  firm  hold  upon  the 
hope  of  eternal  blessedness  offered  in  the  gospel  (5:11 
to  6  :  20). 

The  author  then  resumes  the  comparison  of  Christ  with 
the  Levitical  priests,  using  for  his  purpose  the  figure  of 
Melchizedek,  who  appears  so  suddenly  upon  the  stage  of 
Old  Testament  history  (Gen.  14  :  18-20),  and  disappears  as 
mysteriously  as  he  comes  {7).  From  this  comparison  also 
the  perfection  of  Christ's  priesthood  is  deduced.  The  au- 
thor next  shows  that  Christ's  mediation  is  superior  to  that 
of  the  Old  Testament  priests  because,  while  they  minister 
in  earthly  sanctuaries,  which  are  but  types  or  shadows  of 
the  true,  he  ministers  in  the  upper,  heavenly  temple,  the 
immediate  presence  of  God ;  and  that  he  is  connected  with 
a  better  covenant  than  that  which  God  made  with  the 
Jewish  people,  a  new  covenant  superseding  the  old,  in 
182 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews 

which  an  actual  and  not  a  mere  symbolical  purification 
from  sin  and  cleansing  of  the  conscience  takes  place 
(8  :  I  to  lo  :  i8).  This  elaborate  argument  is  followed  by 
an  equally  extended  practical  section  in  which  the  truth 
developed  in  the  argument  is  applied  (lo  :  19  to  13  :  25). 
Here,  as  in  all  the  hortatory  portions  of  the  epistle,  the 
watchword  is :  "  Be  patient,  faithful,  and  obedient  in  your 
devotion  to  Christ  and  his  truth. " 


II 

THE    PURPOSE    OF    THE    EPISTLE 

The  aim  which  the  writer  had  in  view  has  been,  in  part, 
already  indicated.  But  the  subject  must  be  more  specifi- 
cally considered  because  of  its  bearing  upon  the  questions 
of  the  destination  and  readers  of  the  epistle.  As  we  have 
seen,  the  contents  of  the  epistle  might  be  divided  into 
(i)  the  theoretic  or  argumentative,  and  (2)  the  practical 
or  hortatory  parts.  Then  the  question  may  be  raised  : 
Which  group  of  passages  represent  best  the  main  purpose 
of  the  epistle?  In  other  words.  Is  the  epistle  primarily 
an  argument  or  an  exhortation?  Is  its  immediate  pur- 
pose to  establish  a  certain  view  of  Christianity  or  doctrine 
of  salvation,  or  is  it  to  confirm  the  readers  in  devotion  to 
truth  which  they  already  know  and  hold  ?     If  the  former 

183 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

theory  be  held,  then  the  further  question  arises:  Is  the 
writer's  aim  mainly  didactic  or  apologetic  ?  Is  the  epistle 
primarily  an  exposition  or  a  defence  of  Christian  doctrine  ? 
These  questions  will  meet  us  again  in  the  next  para- 
graph. Suffice  it  to  say  now  that  the  epistle  is  primarily 
practical  in  aim.  Its  arguments  and  illustrations  are  all 
subordinate  to  the  practical  end  of  confirming  the  readers 
in  Christian  faith  and  hope.  An  idea  which  frequently 
recurs  is  :  If  those  who  stood  upon  a  lower  plane  of  knowl- 
edge and  privilege  (the  Jews)  were  punished  for  disobe- 
dience and  unfaithfulness,  how  much  more  severely  shall 
we  who  possess  God's  perfect  revelation  in  Christ  be  pun- 
ished if  we  fail  in  fidelity  and  steadfastness.  The  author 
exhorts  the  readers  not  to  be  content  with  the  rudiments, 
but  to  press  on  toward  maturity  in  Christian  life  and 
knowledge  (6  :  i).  He  reproaches  them  for  their  lack  of 
progress  and  exhorts  them  to  zeal  and  effort.  What,  now, 
was  the  specific  nature  of  the  faults  which  characterized 
them  and  of  the  dangers  which  threatened  their  Christian 
life  }  Were  they  inclined  to  relapse  back  into  Judaism, 
and  was  this  the  peril  against  which  he  warned  them  ? 
Or  was  it  the  danger  of  slackness  and  indifference  in  gen- 
eral ?  These  questions  can  only  be  answered  in  the  light 
of  additional  facts. 


184 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews' 

III 

TO    WHOM    WAS    THE    EPISTLE    ADDRESSED? 

The  usual  answer,  long  current  in  the  church,  is :  To 
Jewish  Christians,  presumably  in  Palestine  or,  at  any  rate, 
within  the  province  of  Syria.  The  principal  arguments  for 
this  view  are:  (i)  The  title  of  the  epistle  is  "To  the 
Hebrews,"  and  although  this  title  cannot  be  proved  to 
have  been  given  by  its  author  to  the  letter,  it  is  very  an- 
cient. (2)  All  the  various  arguments  of  the  epistle  move 
in  the  world  of  Jewish  history  and  ideas.  The  compari- 
son of  Christ  with  the  prophets,  the  angels,  and  Moses, 
and,  especially,  the  elaborate  and  detailed  argument  for 
the  superiority  of  Christ  which  is  drawn  from  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  Old  Testament  priesthood,  tabernacle,  and 
temple,  show  that  both  the  writer  and  the  readers  were 
Jewish.  (3)  The  inferiority  of  Judaism  as  representing  a 
lower  stage  of  divine  revelation,  is  elaborately  portrayed. 
The  only  natural  explanation  of  this  portrayal  is  that  it 
had  for  its  purpose  to  warn  the  readers  not  to  go  back 
from  Christianity  to  this  more  elementary  and  inadequate 
system.  If  the  readers  were  not  Jewish  Christians  who 
were  in  danger  of  such  a  retrogression,  this  elaborate  de- 
scription and  argument  would  be  quite  inexplicable.  (4) 
The  readers,  with  the  writer,  are  spoken  of  as  hearers  of 

i8S 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

the  primitive  apostles  (2  :  3).    Such  would,  most  probably, 
be  Jewish  Christians. 

Quite  a  different  view  of  the  destination  of  the  letter, 
however,  has  been  adopted  by  several  eminent  scholars  of 
our  time.  It  is  that  the  epistle  was  written  without  re- 
gard to  the  nationality  of  the  readers ;  that  they  were  not 
considered  by  the  author  to  be  in  danger  of  apostatizing 
to  Judaism,  and  that  they  probably  resided  in  Rome.^ 
The  principal  grounds  for  this  theory  are  as  follows:  (i) 
The  epistle  takes  no  account  of  the  difference  between 
Jew  and  Gentile,  and  says  nothing  against  Jewish  worship 
and  practices,  such  as  circumcision.  The  author  writes  as 
a  Christian  to  Christians  without  giving  any  indication  re- 
specting the  nationality  of  his  readers.  (2)  The  rudiments 
of  Christian  doctrine  in  which  they  have  remained— re- 
pentance from  dead  works,  belief  in  God  and  in  the  resur- 
rection and  judgment — fit  better  the  supposition  that  the 
readers  were  Gentiles  than  they  do  the  theory  that  they 
were  Jews.  The  latter  would  possess  these  rudiments  of 
religious  belief  even  before  their  conversion  to  Christ.  (3) 
The  readers  are  said  to  have  performed  works  of  benevo- 
lence to  Christians  in  general  (6  :  9,  10),  to  have  endured 
a  special  conflict  of  sufferings  (10  :  32),  and  to  have  shown 
sympathy  with  prisoners  (10  :  34).  Moreover,  the  readers 
are  exhorted  to  consider  the  "  issue  of  the  life  "  of  their 

*  This  opinion  is  advocated,  for  example,  by  Jiilicher,  von  Soden,  Har- 
nack,  and  McGiffert. 

186 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews 

deceased  leaders  and  to  imitate  their  faith  (13:7).  All 
these  indications  point  to  Rome — to  the  position  and  in- 
fluence, the  experience  and  martyr-death  of  believers  re- 
siding in  the  world's  capital.  (4)  The  salutation  which 
the  Italian  Christians  send  by  the  writer  to  the  readers 
(13  :  24)  is  most  naturally  explained  if  the  letter  was  des- 
tined for  Italy,  that  is,  in  all  probability,  for  Rome.  Har- 
nack  suggests  that  the  epistle  was  addressed  to  some  par- 
ticular limited  circle  of  believers  in  Rome— probably  to 
some  household-congregation  such  as  Paul  mentions  in 
First  Corinthians  16  :  19 ;  Romans  16  :  5,  and  Colossians 
4:  15. 

These  considerations  certainly  present  some  difficulty 
in  accepting  the  traditional  view  that  our  epistle  was  really 
written  "  to  the  Hebrews."  But  are  they  as  strong  as  the 
counter  arguments  ?  Does  the  fact,  for  example,  that  our 
author  does  not  speak  against  circumcision  or  attendance 
upon  the  synagogue  prove  anything?  He  might  argue 
against  a  reversion  to  Judaism  without  mentioning  such 
particulars.  And  if  he  was  writing  to  some  special  group 
of  Jewish  Christians,  what  occasion  need  he  have  to  take 
account  of  the  differences  between  Jewish  and  Gentile 
Christians  ?  The  arguments  for  the  Roman  destination 
of  the  letter  are  almost  wholly  built  upon  details  in  the 
epistle — minor  traits,  like  the  salutation  of  the  Italians  and 
the  compassion  of  the  readers  for  prisoners,  which  may, 
indeed,  suggest  Rome,  but  are  not  of  great  weight  when 

187 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

placed  over  against  the  elaborate  portrayal  of  the  Jewish 
system  and  the  cumulative  argument  to  prove  the  superi- 
ority of  the  gospel  to  Leviticalism.  These  are  the  great 
outstanding  peculiarities  of  the  letter,  which  require  ex- 
planation. The  minor  traits  mentioned  create  difficulty 
mainly  in  consequence  of  our  lack  of  information  respect- 
ing the  situation  of  the  writer  and  the  readers.  In  some 
instances,  the  Roman  theory  builds  upon  very  doubtful 
inferences.  For  example:  Assuming,  with  most  inter- 
preters, that  "  the  issue  of  their  life  "  (13  :  7)  refers  to  the 
martyr  -  death  of  the  readers'  former  church  -  rulers,  it 
would  not  in  the  least  follow  that  Peter  and  Paul  were 
especially  meant,  much  less  that  the  readers  resided 
where  these  apostles  suffered  martyrdom. 

The  common  theory,  on  the  other  hand,  rests  upon  the 
general  character  and  contents  of  the  epistle.  The  Jewish 
cast  of  the  whole  exposition,  its  consequent  fitness  and 
adaptation  to  Jewish  minds,  and  the  note  of  warning 
which  seems  to  sound  through  all  the  arguments  and  ex- 
hortations (see,  for  example,  3  : 1 2  ;  4 :  i ,  1 1 ;  6  : 6  ;  1 2  : 1 8  ff.) 
by  which  the  writer  would  strengthen  his  readers'  adher- 
ence to  Christ,  not  only  gave  rise  in  the  early  church  to 
the  title  "  To  the  Hebrews,"  but  have  convinced  the  great 
majority  of  scholars  ever  since  that  the  epistle  was  de- 
signed for  Jewish  readers,  probably  in  Palestine  or  Syria.* 

»  So,  e.g.,  Weiss,  Godet,  Westcott,  Hort,  Bruce,  Beyschlag.     Zahn  holds 
that  the  letter  was  addressed  to  Jewish  Christians  resident  in  Rome. 
188 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews 

It  would  seem  singularly  gratuitous  for  a  writer  to  argue 
the  case  for  Christianity  in  comparison  with  Judaism  at 
such  length  for  readers  who  had  never  adhered  to  Judaism 
and  felt  no  attraction  to  it.  The  opinion  that  the  letter 
was  primarily  practical,  rather  than  theoretical,  in  aim, 
however,  is  consistent  with  either  hypothesis  respecting 
its  destination. 


IV 


THE    PROBLEMS   OF   AUTHORSHIP    AND   DATE 

Hebrews  has  been  handed  down  to  us  as  a  Pauline 
epistle.  It  does  not,  however,  claim  the  apostle  as  its 
author.  The  tradition  that  Paul  wrote  it  arose  from  the 
fact  that  it  exhibits  a  general  kinship  to  the  Pauline  type 
of  thought.  Like  Paul,  the  author  has  much  to  say  of  the 
imperfect  and  preparatory  character  of  the  Old  Testament 
system  and  of  the  completeness  and  sufficiency  of  the  gos- 
pel. But,  closely  considered,  these  subjects  are  seen  to  be 
treated  in  very  different  ways  by  the  two  writers,  while, 
in  language,  style,  and  mode  of  thought  and  methods  of 
argument,  the  writer  of  Hebrews  differs  widely  from  Paul. 
It  is  quite  certain  that  the  epistle  was  not  written  by  Paul. 

But  who,  then,  was  the  writer?  This  question  has 
opened  a  wide  field  for  learned  guessing.  The  epistle 
has  been  assigned  to  every  person  known  to  us  from  the 
189 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

New  Testament  who,  by  any  possibility,  could  have  writ- 
ten it — to  Barnabas,  Apollos,  Timothy,  Silas,  not  to  men- 
tion others.  That  Barnabas  was  the  writer  was  asserted 
by  Tertullian,  and  many  modern  scholars  have  favored 
this  opinion.  Barnabas  was  a  man  of  apostolic  rank 
(Acts  14  :  4,  14),  a  Hellenist  from  Cyprus,  a  Levite,  and 
an  honored  member  of  the  Jerusalem  church.  As  such, 
it  is  said,  he  might  most  naturally  write  such  a  letter  of 
warning  and  exhortation  to  his  fellow -believers  in  Pales- 
tine or  Syria. 

The  Apollos  hypothesis,  however,  which  was  adopted 
by  Luther,  has  met  with  still  more  general  favor.  Apol- 
los is  known  to  us  as  a  cultured,  rhetorical  Alexandrian, 
well  versed  in  the  Greek  Old  Testament  (Acts  18  :  24  ff. ; 
compare  i  Cor.  2  :  1-5).  These  qualifications  would  ac- 
count for  the  elaborate  style,  the  Alexandrian  cast,  the 
kinship  with  Philo  and  the  Book  of  Wisdom,  and  the  free 
use  of  the  Septuagint  in  the  epistle,  while  the  relation  of 
Apollos  to  Paul  would  explain  the  general  agreement  of 
the  epistle  with  Pauline  doctrine.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
must  be  said  that  if  either  of  these  prominent  men  had 
written  the  epistle,  it  is  very  strange  that  the  name  of  the 
author  should  so  soon  have  been  forgotten.  We  have  no 
evidence  that  Barnabas  possessed  the  literary  culture  dis- 
played in  the  epistle,  and  Apollos  was  not  a  disciple  of 
the  primitive  apostles  (2  :  3). 

Professor  Harnack,  in  a  recently  established  journal  for 
190 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews 

New  Testament  studies,  has  elaborated  the  theory  that  the 
epistle  was  written  by  Priscilla.  This  view  presupposes 
the  Roman  destination  of  the  epistle.  Harnack  reminds  us 
that  the  author  was  well  acquainted  with  Timothy  (13  :  23), 
was  closely  associated  with  the  apostles,  though  not  him- 
self an  apostle  (2  :  3),  and  must,  therefore,  have  been  a 
prominent  Christian  worker.  He  further  calls  attention 
to  the  fact  that  in  every  passage  in  which  Priscilla  and 
Aquila  are  mentioned  by  either  Luke  (Acts  18  :  18,  26) 
or  Paul  (Rom.  16:3;  i  Cor.  16:19;  2  Tim.  4:19),  the 
name  of  Priscilla  stands  first.  This  fact  seems  to  indicate 
that  she  was  more  effective  and  influential  as  a  teacher 
than  her  husband.  Harnack  thinks  that  the  early  disap- 
pearance of  the  writer's  name  is  most  naturally  explained 
on  the  supposition  that  the  epistle  was  written  by  a  woman, 
since  it  is  well  known  that  the  position  of  women  became 
much  less  prominent  in  the  post-apostolic  age  than  it  had 
been  in  the  early  days  of  the  Church.  In  consequence  of 
the  disfavor  with  which  the  idea  of  a  woman  acting  as  a 
teacher  came  to  be  regarded,  nothing  was  said  by  those 
who  highly  esteemed  the  epistle  respecting  the  writer,  and 
thus  her  name  fell  out  of  all  connection  with  her  strik- 
ing message  to  her  household  congregation.  Finally,  the 
writer  often  speaks  in  such  a  way  as  to  show  that  another 
was  closely  united  with  him  (or  rather,  on  Harnack's  view, 
with  her)  in  sending  the  message.  He  says  :  "  Pray  for  us  " 
(13 :  18)  ;  "  And  /  exhort  you  "  (13  *  19)  ;  "  Our  brother 
191 


Hebrews  The  Messages 

Timothy  "  (13  :  23)  ;  "  /  will  see  you  "  (13  :  23  ;  compare 
the  "we"  passages,  6  :  3,  9,  11),  etc.  It  is  held  that 
Paul's  Jewish-Roman  co-laborers,  Aquila  and  Priscilla 
(Rom.  16:3;  I  Cor.  16  19),  would  best  correspond  to 
these  various  indications  respecting  the  personality  and 
relations  of  the  writer. 

This  theory  has  met  with  little  favor  among  scholars. 
The  considerations  which  are  urged  in  its  favor  are  out- 
weighed by  the  improbability  that  a  Jewish  -  Roman 
woman  in  Rome,  a  weaver  of  tent-cloth,  should  have  pos- 
sessed such  a  rhetorical  training,  and  such  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Alexandrian  philosophy  of  religion  as  are 
displayed  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  It  is  vain,  in- 
deed, to  claim  more  than  a  conjectural  value  for  any 
of  the  suppositions  which  have  been  advanced  concern- 
ing the  authorship  of  our  epistle.  We  must  still  abide 
by  the  verdict  of  Origen.  "  Who  it  was  that  really  wrote 
the  epistle,  God  only  knows." 

The  date,  too,  is  uncertain.  Most  scholars  who  hold 
that  the  epistle  was  addressed  to  Roman  Christians  place 
it  within  the  reign  of  Domitian  (A.  D.  81-96).  The  more 
common  view  is  that  it  was  written  during  the  years  65- 
70.^  The  principal  argument  for  the  earlier  date  is  that 
the  vivid  and  detailed  portrayal  of  the  Levitical  cultus 
implies  that  it  was  a  present  reality  and  was  exerting  a 

*  Harnack  admits  that  the  epistle  may  be  earlier  than  Domitian's  time, 
and  Zahn  assigns  it  to  "  about  80." 

192 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  i  :  2 

powerful  attractive  force  upon  the  readers.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  is  argued  that  the  use  made  of  this  cultus  is  illus- 
trative only  and  that  the  writer  uses  the  tabernacle  for 
this  purpose  as  freely  as  the  temple.  If,  it  is  said,  we  are 
to  argue  from  his  references  to  the  temple,  that  the  tem- 
ple was  still  standing,  we  should  be  required  to  suppose 
that  the  description  of  the  tabernacle  also  implied  its  con- 
tinued existence.  While  it  is  true  that  we  may  not  con- 
clude from  specific  references  to  the  temple  that  the  letter 
antedated  the  year  70,  it  is  difficult  to  resist  the  impres- 
sion that  the  picture  of  the  sacrificial  system  as  a  whole  is 
not  one  drawn  from  memory,  but  one  taken  from  life.  If 
our  author  was  not  writing  for  Jews  and  depicting  a  still 
existing  system  of  worship,  we  must  say  that  his  illustra- 
tions and  arguments  drawn  from  that  system  and  com- 
posing fully  half  of  his  epistle,  are  singularly  far-fetched 
and  inapposite. 


THE   MESSAGE    TO    THE   HEBREWS 

I.    Christ's  Superiority  to  the  Angels  (i,  2) 

In   ancient  times   God   partially   revealed   himself  by  The  suprem. 
various  methods  to  the  Jewish  people  through  men  spe-  ^^\  °.^)  ^"^* 
cially  chosen  to  declare  his  will ;  in  these  closing  days  of 
the  present  age  he  has  revealed  himself  to  us  in  no  less  a 
193 


Hebrews  i  :  2  The  Messages 

person  than  his  Son.     To  this  Son,  his  agent  in  the  world's 
creation,  God  has  given  supreme  and  universal  dominion. 
In  him  shines   forth  the  radiant  glory  of  God  ;  he  bears 
the  impress  of  the  divine  nature  ;   his  will  supports  the 
order  of  the  world.     When,  now,  he  had  finished  his  re- 
deeming work  for  man,  God  exalted  him  to  the  seat  of 
honor  and  power.     By  this  exaltation  it  was  shown  that 
to  him  belonged  a  higher  dignity  than  had  ever  been  ac- 
corded to  the  angels,  for  he  bears  the  high  title  of  Son, 
Neither  his   which  is  not  given  to  them.     In  the  Old  Testament  we 
aufhority^'*  do  not  find  Jehovah  represented  as  applying  this  title  to 
canbeattrib-angreis;    but  he  docs  apply   it   to  the  Messiah.      More- 

Uted  even  &         »  ^r  j 

to  angels  over,  the  angels  are  bidden  by  Jehovah  to  render  homage 
^*'  to  Christ,  when  he  shall  return  to  earth  in  glory  and 
triumph.  Messiah's  superiority  to  the  angels  is  further 
recognized  in  the  Old  Testament.  They  are  there  likened 
to  the  swift  and  subtle  powers  of  nature ;  but  prophets 
speak  of  Christ  as  possessing  supreme  and  universal  do- 
minion. Their  language  could  be  applied  to  no  angel. 
Further :  The  creation  of  the  world  and  perpetuity  of  life 
are  attributed  to  him  ;  Jehovah  describes  him  as  occupy- 
ing the  seat  of  authority  and  wielding  the  sceptre  of  do- 
minion over  all  foes ;  while  to  the  angels  of  every  rank  is 
assigned  the  humble  position  of  ministering  in  the  interest 
of  those  who  are  to  become  partakers  of  his  salvation. 

Since  Christ  is  so  superior  to  the  angels  in  office  and 
authority,  we  ought  to  hear  and  obey  his  message  with 
194 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  2  :  8 

even  greater  reverence  than  is  due  to  the  law  which  angels  His  teach- 
introduced.      We  all  know  how  severely  God  punished  loathe  kS° 
all  disobedience  to   the  law   given  on  Sinai ;  with   how  by'^^ngeS^ 
much  greater  rigor  will  he  treat  indifference  to  the  clearer  ^^  •  ^-4) 
and  fuller  revelation  of  his  will  in  Christ — a  saving  revela- 
tion, which  was  presented,  in  the  first  instance,  in  the 
teaching  of  the  Lord  Jesus  himself,  and  was  then  securely 
transmitted  to  us  by  his  immediate  disciples.      This  mes- 
sage of  salvation  through  his  Son,  God  attested  by  mir- 
acles and  by  bestowing  upon  those  who  received  it  such 
spiritual  endowments  as  suited  his  gracious  purpose. 

There  is  a  further  proof  of  Christ's  superiority  to  the  The  superi- 
angels  :  God  has  not  accorded  to  them  dominion  over  the  and  domfn- 
coming  Messianic  age.  But  has  he  granted  it  to  Christ  ?  J°".  "^g^^"** 
Let  us  see.  One  Scripture  writer  does,  indeed,  speak  of 
man's  weakness,  insignificance,  and  inferiority  to  the  an- 
gels, but,  notwithstanding  this,  he  goes  on  to  assert  that 
God  has  exalted  him  to  a  place  of  dominion  and  authority. 
The  language  used  is  very  strong  ;  he  describes  his 
sovereignty  as  extending  to  "all  things."  But  we  do 
not  yet  see  man  exercising  any  such  dominion  as  is  here 
described.  This  exaltation  is  realized  only  in  Christ.  In 
him  is  fulfilled  both  the  humiliation  and  the  exaltation  of 
which  the  Psalmist  speaks — the  former  by  his  stooping 
to  suffer  the  death  of  the  cross,  the  latter  by  his  glorifica- 
tion. Now  the  temporary  humiliation  of  Christ  below  the 
angels  is  no  argument  against  his  real  supremacy  over 

195 


Hebrews  2  :  9  The  Messages 


His  humilia-  them.     It  was  a  necessary  condition  of  his  accomplishing 
to°wa?(/  te    his  saving  work  for  man  that  he  should  pass  through  a 
(afg^iS"     career  of  suffering.     For  both  Saviour  and  saved  have  a 
common   Father  —  God  ;    hence   the   Saviour  does  not 
scruple  to  address  men  as  his  brothers,  expressing,  in 
common  with  them,  his  trustful  dependence  on  Jehovah, 
and  naming  himself  as  the  elder  brother  of  the  children  of 
God.     Since  the  men  whom  he  came  to  save  were  pos- 
sessed of  a  weak  and  perishable  nature,  he   also  himself 
took   upon  him  human  frailty,  in  order  that  by  himself 
submitting  to  death  he  might  render  powerless  him  who 
introduced  death  into  the  world,  that  is,  Satan,  and  might 
free  men  from  their  perpetual  bondage  to  the  fear  of  death. 
For,  indeed,  he  did  not  come  to  earth  to  save  angels,  but 
Thus  he  be-  men.     Therefore  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  enter 

came  our  ,  .  .  ..... 

perfect  High  mto  human  conditions  and  limitations,  in  order  that  he 
(^Ti7, 18)  rnight  fulfil  his  priestly  office  of  atonement  on  behalf  of 
the  people,  in  perfect  sympathy  with  all  their  sin  and 
need.  For  since  he  has  himself  passed  through  a  career 
of  moral  trial,  he  is  able  to  help  those  who  are  undergoing 
temptation. 

2.  Christ's  Superiority  to  Moses  (3:  i  to  4:  16) 

In  view  of  the  position  and  purpose  of  Christ  which 

have   been   described,   do  you,   fellow-members   of    the 

Christian  commonwealth,  give  careful  heed  to  him  who 

has  introduced  and  ratified  the  new  gospel  dispensation, 

196 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  3  :  13 

namely,  Jesus,  who  has  as  faithfully  accomplished  his  di-  The  position 
vinely  given  mission  on  behalf  of  man,  as  did  Moses  his  °he  kingdom 
work  as  a  leader  of  the  people  of  God.     But  to  Christ,  God  ^^^Sd'^wkT' 
has  assigned  a  dignity  and  authority  as  much  higher  than  jjjat  of 
that  given  to  Moses  as  the  position  of  one  who  organizes  (3 : 1-6) 
and  regulates  a  household  is  higher  than  that  of  the  ser- 
vants within  it.     Now  just  as  every  household  must  have 
some  administrator  in  charge  of  it,  so  must  God's  spiritual 
household  ;  and  it  is  God  himself  who  presides  over  his 
family  and,  in  various  periods,  gives  to  one  and  another 
his  position  and  function  within  it.     Now,  in  thus  arrang- 
ing for  the  administration  of  his  household,  God  made 
Moses  a  servant,  and  he  faithfully  performed  the  service 
of  bearing  testimony  to  truths  which  were   to  be  more 
fully  revealed  through  Christ ;  but  to  Christ  he  gave  the 
authority  which  belongs  to  a  Son,  placing  him  in  com- 
plete  control   of   his  spiritual   family — of  which  we  are 
members,  if  we  persevere  in  our  loyalty  to  Christ  and  in 
our  confident  expectation  of  his  kingdom,  until  his  com- 
ing.    Now  the  Scripture  describes  the   indifference   and  Warnings 
disobedience  of  the  people  under  the  leadership  of  Moses,  foTaTty  and 
in   consequence  of    which    Jehovah   declared   that   they  ^is°^^^'^"« 
should  not  enter  the  promised  land.     Therefore,  do  you,  (3 : 7-19) 
my   Christian   brethren,   beware   of    disloyalty  and   dis- 
obedience to  One  who  possesses  so  much  higher  a  dignity 
and  authority  than  Moses  had.     Be  warned  of  the  dangers 
of  unfaithfulness,  in  this  your  day  of  opportunity ;  lest 
197 


Hebrews  3  :  14  The  Messages 

any  of  you  be  seduced  by  sin  into  disloyalty  to  Christ. 
For  we  shall  share  in  blessed  fellowship  with  Christ  if  we 
persevere  in  trusting  him  till  his  coming.  Heed,  then,  the 
solemn  warning  against  unfaithfulness  which  was  given 
to  the  Israelites,  and  do  not  repeat  the  sin  of  which  they 
were  guilty  in  the  wilderness.  But  how  general  was  the 
disobedience  of  which  I  have  spoken  .'*  Was  it  not  uni- 
versal ?  And  was  not  God  angry  with  Israel  for  her  sins 
in  consequence  of  which  so  many  perished  in  the  desert  } 
And  did  not  God  utter  a  solemn  oath  that  these  faithless 
people  should  not  see  the  promised  land  }  Thus  we  see 
that  it  was  unfaithfulness  which  prevented  them  from  en- 
tering Canaan,  and  we  should  beware  of  repeating  their 
experience. 
Thepro-nise     xhe  failure  of  the  Tews,  through  their  unbelief,  to  enter 

or  rest  and  •'  ° 

blessedness   the  promised  land  should  be  a  warning  to  us,  lest  we,  like 

through        them,  should  fail  to  attain  the  proffered  peace  and  bless- 

(4:T-'io.t       edness  of  Christ's  kingdom.     For  we  Christians  have  had 

a  divine  promise  of  rest  proclaimed  to  us,  as  the  Jews  did 

through  Moses ;  they  did  not  heed  the  message  addressed 

to  them,  but  received  it  only  with  incredulity.     Let  us  not 

follow  their  example.     We  conclude  that  the  rest  of  God 

was  destined  to  be  realized  by  the  followers  of  Christ ;  the 

Jews  were  excluded  from  it,  as  the  Psalmist  says,  although 

it  was  fully  prepared  and  waiting  from  the  creation  of  the 

world.     For  that  there  was  a  Sabbath  rest  of  God  from 

the  beginning  is  implied  in  the  Scriptural  word  about 

198 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  4  :  14 

God's  resting  after  creation,  and  in  the  refusal  of  God  to 
permit  the  Jewish  people  to  enjoy  it.  The  case  stands 
thus :  God  has  prepared  a  Sabbath  rest  for  his  people ; 
the  Jews  by  their  faithlessness  forfeited  it ;  yet  the  Psalm 
which  speaks  of  the  "  to-day  "  of  opportunity,  and  warns 
against  disobedience,  implies  that  the  rest  in  question  is 
still  available.  For  if  the  Jewish  people  under  Joshua  had 
realized  the  real  rest  of  God,  the  Scripture,  so  long  after- 
ward, would  not  have  spoken  of  it  as  still  unentered  and 
unenjoyed,  as  the  Psalmist  does  when  he  proclaims  an- 
other "  to-day  "  of  God's  favor.  We  therefore  conclude 
that  this  rest  has  been  reserved  till  now,  and  is  available 
for  believers  in  the  Messiah.  Such  a  blessed  repose  in 
Christ's  kingdom  as  I  speak  of  is  possible  for  us,  for  who- 
ever enters  the  rest  of  God  rests  from  the  toils  and  labors 
of  his  life  as  God  rested  after  creation.  Such  being  the  Faithfulness 
glorious  prospect  which  is  open  to  us,  let  us  beware  of  commands 
disobedience  and  failure.  For  God's  requirements  are  ft^^fui^^Jn^ent 
strict  and  severe.  His  messages  and  commandments  are  (4 :  "-13) 
living  and  effective,  and  they  pierce  and  search  the  inmost 
recesses  of  our  life.  None  can  escape  his  all-seeing  eye  ; 
all  unbelief  and  disobedience  are  perfectly  known  by  him 
to  whom  we  are  accountable. 

Since,  then,  we  have  so  exalted  a  Mediator,  Jesus,  our 

risen  and  glorified  Lord,  let  us  continue  loyal  and  faithful 

to  him.     For  though  he  is  so  highly  exalted,  yet  he  is  full 

of  compassionate   feeling  for  our  weaknesses;   he  has 

199 


Hebrews  4:15  The  Messages 

An  assur-  passed  through  a  full  course  of  moral  trial  like  our  own, 
Chris?s  without  yielding  to  sin.  We  may  therefore  fearlessly  ap- 
hdpfiiness  pfo^ch  his  heavenly  seat  in  the  assurance  that  he  will  re- 
(4 :  14-16)  ceive  us  with  favor  and  will  strengthen  us  to  resist  and 
overcome  the  power  of  evil  when  we  are  tempted. 

3.  His  Qualifications  for  the  Priestly  Office  (5  :  i-io) 

The  quaii-        The  pricst  who  is  to  intercede  with  God  on  behalf  of 
fo/a"riesr  ^^^'^  ^"^  ^o  offcr  Sacrifices  in  atonement  for  sin,  must  him- 
(5 : 1-4)        self  be  a  man  ;  he  must  be  able  to  sympathize  with  men 
in  their  weakness  and  sin,  because  he  is  himself  acquainted 
by  experience  with  human  frailty,  and  on  this  account  he 
must  offer  sacrifices  for  his  own  sins  as  well  as  for  those 
of  others.     Moreover,  the  priest  must  not  assume  his  of- 
fice, but  must  take  it  by  appointment  from  God  as  Aaron 
Christ's  per-  did.     Now  Christ  fulfilled  these  conditions  of  the  priestly 
sion  orthi'm  office  ;  he  did  not  grasp  the  honor  of  the  priesthood,  but 
(5  : 5-10)      God  who,  in  Scripture,  is  described  as  exalting  him  to  his 
Messianic  throne  and  as  attributing  to  him  a  perpetual 
priesthood,  appointed  him  to  the  office.     He  also  fulfilled 
the  first  condition  of  exercising  the  priestly  office  by  en- 
during, in  his  human  life,  the  severest  trials  and  sufferings, 
by  w.hich  he  was  disciplined  in  obedience  to  the  will  of 
God,  perfectly  fitted  for  his  work  as  Saviour  of  men,  and 
exalted  to  the  dignity  of  a  perpetual  priesthood. 


200 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  6  :  8 

4.  Christ  a  Priest  of  a  Higher  Order  than  the 
Aaronic  Priests    (5  :  10  to  7  :  28) 

It  is  difficult  to  make  plain  to  you  the  meaning  of  this  These  deep 

.^  .    ^.     .        .  f  .  .         .     er  aspects  ol 

priestly  office  of  Christ  because  of  your  immaturity  in  Christ's 
Christian  knowledge.    For  although  you  have  been  Chris-  mendedTo 
tians   long  enough  to  have   become   the   instructors   of  ^^^  reader's 

»  o  attention 

others,  you  need  yourselves  to  be  instructed  in  the  very  (5 :  "-u) 
elements  of  Christian  doctrine  ;  you  are  mere  children  in 
the  apprehension  of  the  gospel.  For  he  who  can  receive 
only  the  rudiments  of  Christian  teaching  is  a  mere  child 
in  understanding.  But  the  deeper  mysteries  of  our  faith 
are  appreciated  only  by  the  mature  Christian  who  is 
trained  in  discriminating  between  what  is  useful  and  what 
is  worthless  in  religious  teaching. 

Let  us  leave  behind  this  elementary  stage  of  Christian  An  exhorta- 
knowledge  and  go  on  toward  maturity ;  let  us  cease  to  and  progress 
limit  our  attention  to  those  primary  truths  in  which,  by  ^^  •  '"^^ 
this  time,  we  should  all  be  well  instructed.     And    this 
progress  to  higher  stages  of  knowledge  we  shall  achieve 
— with  God's  blessing.     I  exhort  you  the  more  earnestly 
to  make  this  progress,  because  if  you  do  not  go  forward 
you  are  in  danger  of  going  backward  and  forsaking  Christ 
altogether.     I  warn  you  that  if,  after  having  made  a  be- 
ginning in  the  Christian  life,  as  you  have  done,  you  now 
desert  the  gospel,  you  will  find  no  other  means  of  salva- 
tion ;  you  will  be  treating  with  contempt  the  only  One 
201 


Hebrews  6  :  9  The  Messages 

who  is  able  to  save  you.     You  will  but  show  how  thank- 
less you  are — like  the  soil  which  heaven  blesses  with  fre- 
quent showers  and  which  brings  forth  only  briers  in  return. 
And  to  in-         But  though  I  thus  Warn  you  against  deserting  the  gospel, 
votion  to       I  do  not  believe,  my  brethren,  that  you  will  thus  renounce 
(6^"9-i2)      your  allegiance  to  Christ.     You  have  shown,  and  are  still 
showing,  your  love  to  God  by  your  services  done  to  his 
people,  and  he  will  bless  and  reward  you  for  this.    I  trust 
you  will  persevere  in  your  Christian  faithfulness  and  con- 
fidence, and  that  with  God's  faithful  people  you  may  share 
in  the  blessedness  of  Messiah's  kingdom  at  his  coming. 
The  Gospel-      When  God  assured  Abraham  of  a  numerous  posterity, 
fir^d  byT"  he  Confirmed  his  promise  by  a  most  solemn  oath  taken  in 
of ^G^d  °*^^  ^he  name  of  his  sacred  honor.     Abraham  confidently  be- 
(6 :  13-20)     lieved  the  promise,  and  it  came  true.     His  promises  to  us 
are  equally  sure.     For  as  men  make  their  oaths,  by  which 
they  would  confirm  their  statements,  in  the  name  of  some- 
one greater  than  themselves,  so  God,  in  order  to  give  the 
most  absolute  assurance  to  his  people,  confirmed  his  prom- 
ise by  an  oath.    Thus  he  has  given  us  a  double  assurance, 
by  his  promise  and  by  his  oath,  in  order  that  we  who  have 
placed  our  hope  of  salvation  in  Christ  might  be  kept  secure 
in  our  confidence,  as  a  ship  is  held  by  its  anchor.    Let  this 
steadfast  hope  bind  us  to  that  spiritual  and  heavenly  world 
into  which  Jesus,  our  Advocate  and  Priest,  after  the  order 
of  Melchizedek,  has  now  entered. 

That  Christ's  priesthood  is  fitly  typified  by  that  of  Mel- 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  7  :  lo 

chizedek  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  Mdchizedek 
this  royal  priest  pronounced  a  blessing  upon  Abraham,  chrfst  ° 
the  head  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  received  from  him,  as  ^^  •  ^'3^ 
an  expression  of  honor  and  homage,  tithes  of  the  chief 
spoils  of  war.     This  fitness  is  also  seen  in  the  meaning 
of  the  priest's  name,  "  king  of  righteousness,"  and  in  the 
meaning  of  the  name  of  his  city,  "  Peace."     The  parallel 
extends  further:    Melchizedek  suddenly  appears  on  the 
field  of  Old  Testament  history,  and  as  suddenly  disap- 
pears— a  priest,  not  by  descent,  but  by  some  higher  right, 
suggesting  the  priesthood  of  him  whose  office  is  bound  up 
with  his  essential,  changeless  life. 

Reflect,  now,  upon   the   superiority   of   Melchizedek's  The  superi- 

,-11  f      1        T        •  T-1-  o"ty  of  Mel- 

pnesthood,  as  compared  with  that  ot  the  Levites.  1  hey,  chizedek's 
indeed,  receive  tithes  from  those  who,  like  themselves,  are  fo'Sj'S'^ 
sons  of  Abraham  and  who  are  therefore  equal  to  them  in  t^?  Levitical 

'■  _  pnests 

rank,  and  thus  have  a  certain  relative  pre-eminence  ac-  (7 : 4-10) 
corded  to  them  ;  but  Melchizedek,  whose  priesthood  did 
not  rest  upon  human  descent,  received  tithes  from  the 
great  patriarch  himself  and  took  the  part  of  a  superior  in 
pronouncing  blessing  upon  him.  Moreover,  the  Levitical 
priests  are  subject  to  death,  but  of  the  death  of  Melchiz- 
edek the  Old  Testament  says  nothing.  Yes,  I  may  even 
say  that,  in  a  certain  sense,  Levi  himself  paid  tithes  to 
Melchizedek,  for  Levi,  though  yet  unborn,  may  be  re- 
garded as  rendering  homage  to  Melchizedek  in  the  person 
of  his  ancestor  Abraham. 

203 


Hebrews  7:11  The  Messages 


Christ's  per-  We  have  further  proof  of  the  inferiority  of  the  Levitical 
Evenfy  priesthood :  If  that  priesthood,  on  which  the  whole  Old 
P"f  j'j^°°^  Testament  system  was  based,  could  have  secured  the  end 
which  it  proposed — the  reconciliation  of  men  with  God — 
then  no  other  priesthood  would  have  been  needed  ;  but  it 
could  not ;  that  priesthood  must  therefore  give  place  to 
another.  Now,  since  the  whole  system  rested  upon  the 
priesthood,  the  change  in  the  priesthood  must  involve  the 
abrogation  of  the  whole  system.  How  radical  this  change 
was  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  new  priest,  Christ,  comes 
from  another  tribe  than  that  of  Levi  and  rests  his  claims 
on  wholly  different  grounds  from  those  of  descent.  And 
that  with  this  change  in  the  priesthood  the  whole  Mosaic 
economy  disappears,  is  still  further  evident  from  the  fact 
that  the  new  priest  is  of  a  different  order  from  the  old, 
and  that  his  office  rests  upon  a  unique  basis.  He  was 
not  made  priest  by  a  rule  or  statute,  but  in  virtue  of  an 
inherent,  imperishable  life ;  accordingly  his  priesthood  is 
described  as  changeless  and  perpetual.  Thus  the  old,  im- 
perfect, priestly  institution  passes  away,  and  with  it  the 
system  of  which  it  was  a  part ;  and  we  see  that  a  secure 
hope  of  attaining  the  goal  contemplated  by  the  law  is  first 
attained  under  Christianity.  Moreover,  the  superiority  of 
Christ's  priesthood,  as  compared  with  that  of  the  Levitical 
priests,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he,  unlike  them,  was  de- 
clared a  priest  by  the  solemn  oath  of  Jehovah  ;  it  follows 
that  the  covenant  under  which  he  ministers  is  far  superior 
204 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  8  :  3 

to  the  Old  Testament  system.  Another  point  of  differ- 
ence is  that  the  Levitical  priests  stand  in  an  order  of  suc- 
cession and  are  subject  to  death,  while  Christ's  office  is 
grounded  in  his  immutable  life.  This  qualification  enables 
him  to  complete  the  work  of  salvation  for  all  who  accept 
his  mediation,  since  his  ministrations  on  their  behalf  are 
uninterrupted. 

For  the  completion  of  our  salvation  we   needed   the  Christ  the 
ministrations  in  the  heavenly  sanctuary  of  such  a  perfect  who  maki?* 
priest  as  Christ  is — one  who  does  not  need,  as  the  Levit-  offgr^^^^ 
ical  priests  do,  to  offer  sacrifices  for  his  own  sins  as  well  (7  =  26-28) 
as  for  those  of  others,  nor,  like  them,  to  repeat  his  sacri- 
fice over  and  over  again  ;  for  the  priests  of  Judaism  were 
frail  and  sinful  men,  while  the  priest  of  the  New  Covenant 
whom  Jehovah  has  appointed  by  his  oath  is  a  Son,  per- 
fectly fitted  for  his  saving  work. 

5.  Christ  the  Minister  and  Exponent  of  the  New 
Spiritual  Covenant  (8:1  to  10  :  18) 

A  leading  point  in  my  whole  argument  respecting  the  Christ  min- 
superiority  of  Christ's  priesthood  is  that  he  officiates,  not  helvVniy^^ 
in  this  lower,  earthly  temple,  like  the  Levitical  priests,  but  J^J^jJJJJJjy" 
in  the  upper,  heavenly  sanctuary.      I  speak  of  Christ  as  a  diate  pres- 
ministering  priest ;    now  the  very  meaning  of  a  priest  is  (8  :  1-5) 
one  who  offers  sacrifices ;  wherefore  Christ  must  offer  a 
sacrifice.     Now  it  cannot  be  on  earth  that  he  fulfils  this 
priestly  function,  because  the  priestly  office  on  earth  is 
205 


Hebrews  8  :  4  The  Messages 

already  filled  ;  it  must  be  in  the  upper,  spiritual  tabernacle 
that   he   ministers  —  the   true   sanctuary,   of  which   the 
Mosaic  tabernacle,  whose  construction  Jehovah  directed, 
was  but  a  typical  representation.     This  heavenly  priest- 
hood is  as  much  superior  to  its  earthly  counterpart  as  the 
New  Covenant  with  which  it  is  connected  is  superior,  in 
the  hopes  and  blessings  which  it  offers,  to  the  Old  Cov- 
enant.    For  if  the  Old  Testament  system  had  been  per- 
fect, it  would  not  have  been  supplanted  by  a  new  dispen- 
As  predict-    satioH.     But  it  was  not,  and  its  imperfection  is  recognized 
fJ^ijekTgtiTp- by  its  own  representatives,  the  prophets,  who  describe 
the"new  s^ir  J^hovah  as  promising  his  people  a  New  Covenant,  which 
ituai  cove-    shall  be  different  from  that  which  he  gave  them  on  Mount 
Christ"         Sinai.      The   marks   of   this   new   order  which  Jehovah 
(8 :  6-13)       promised  are,  that  it  shall  be  a  system  of  inner  law  rather 
than  of  outer  law,  that  it  shall  aim  at  making  the  knowl- 
edge of  Jehovah  universal,  and  that  it  shall  be  a  dispensa- 
tion of  grace  and  forgiveness.     Now,  when  the  coming  of 
a  new  system  is  thus  foretold,  it  is  evident  that  the  speedy 
abrogation  of  the  old  is  implied ;  and  if  the  prophet,  so 
long  ago,  could  speak  of  this  change  as   imminent,  we 
must  conclude  that  by  this  time  it  is  near  its  consum- 
mation. 
Thesacri-        Now  the  Old  Testament  system  had  its  various  ar- 
imperf  Jct^™  rangcmcuts  for  worship  and  its  visible  earthly  sanctuary, 
mi  *^'"^°'  The  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness  consisted  of  two  parts : 
(9 :  i-io)      an  outer  one,  called  the  holy  place,  and  an  inner  one, 

206 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  9  :  13 

called  the  most  holy  place,  each  with  its  appropriate  ar- 
rangements and  furnishings,  which  it  does  not  now  con- 
cern us  to  describe  in  detail.  This  being  the  construction 
of  the  tabernacle,  the  priests  were  allowed  at  all  times  to 
enter  the  outer  court  and  offer  their  sacrifices,  but  into  the 
innermost  part  only  the  high-priest  could  enter,  and  he 
but  once  a  year,  when  he  made  atonement  for  his  own 
sins  and  for  those  of  the  congregation.  Now  this  ar- 
rangement by  which  the  most  holy  place  was  made  so 
inaccessible  was  a  symbolic  expression  of  the  fact  that, 
under  the  old  system,  free  access  into  the  immediate 
presence  of  God  was  not  yet  permitted,  and  that  the  per- 
fect religion  had  not  yet  been  introduced.  The  sacrifices 
which  were  offered  under  the  old  covenant  bore  in  them- 
selves the  marks  of  their  imperfection  ;  they  were  outward 
and  temporary,  and  could  not  cleanse  and  renew  the 
heart. 

Now,   the    ideal  religion    toward   which    the    Mosaic  Christ  has 
economy  pointed,  Christ  has  introduced.     His  ministry  on  [deaf  of  the 
our  behalf  is  not  performed  in  an  earthly  and  temporary  ment^s^ysfem 
sanctuary,  but  in  the  heavenly  temple,  in  the  immediate  (9  -  "-22) 
presence  of  God.     The  sacrifice  which  he  has  offered  was 
not  that  of  animals,  but  that  of  his  own  life,  and  in  the 
heavenly  world  he  is  now  acting  as  the  Mediator  of  our 
salvation.     For  if  the  sacrifice  of  animals  was  accepted, 
under  the  old  covenant,  as  accomplishing  a  ceremonial 
cleansing,  how  much  more  shall  the  perfect  spiritual  sacri- 
207 


Hebrews  9  :  14  The  Messages 

fice  of  the  spotless  Christ  accomplish  the  real  purification 
of  the  inner  life.  By  means  of  this  perfect  sacrifice  Christ 
has  introduced  a  new  order,  which,  by  reason  of  the  ef- 
ficacy of  his  death  for  those  who  lived  under  the  imperfect 
Jewish  dispensation,  is  able  to  secure  the  perfect  salvation 
of  all  God's  people.  This  death  of  Christ  was  necessary, 
for  a  testament '  is  only  rendered  valid  and  put  into  effect 
by  the  testator's  death.  Accordingly,  we  find  much  said 
about  death  in  connection  with  the  old  covenant ;  in  fact, 
death  by  the  shedding  of  blood  is  a  constant  factor  in  the 
carrying  out  of  that  system  and  an  essential  characteristic 
of  its  worship. 
Christ's  per-  Thcsc  Considerations  emphasize,  by  analogy,  the  neces- 
(9^:  23-28)"  sity  of  Christ's  death.  As  the  lower  sanctuary,  the  sym- 
bol of  the  true,  was  ceremonially  purified  by  sacrifice,  so 
the  most  holy  place  on  high  must  be  made  ready  and  ac- 
cessible for  believers  by  the  perfect  sacrifice  of  Christ. 
For  Christ's  priestly  ministry  is  performed,  not  in  an 
earthly  sanctuary,  but  in  the  very  presence  of  God  him- 
self;  nor  does  he  need  to  repeat  his  sacrifice,  as  the 
Jewish  high-priest  did ;  for  had  his  priesthood  been  like 
theirs,  his  death  would  have  needed  to  occur  many  times 
during  the  course  of  human  history ;  but  since  his  priest- 

1  There  is  here  a  play  on  the  word  fiiaff^xij  —which  may  mean  either  cove- 
nant or  testament.     The  writer  uses  the  word  in  the  former  sense  except  in 
9 :  16,   17,  where  he  passes  over  to  the  other  meaning,  which  was  better 
adapted  to  the  purpose  of  his  argument. 
208 


of  tJie  Apostles  Hebrews  lo  :  13 

hood  is  so  superior,  it  was  only  necessary  that  he  should 
make  one  final  and  effectual  sacrifice  for  sins.  And  just 
as  men  die  but  once,  and  thereafter  follows,  not  another 
death,  but  judgment,  so  Christ  has  died  once  for  the  sins 
of  mankind,  and  when  he  comes  to  earth  again,  he  will 
not  come  to  die  a  second  time,  but  to  complete  for  his 
followers  the  work  of  their  salvation. 

Since  the  Jewish  sacrificial  system  deals  only  with  types  The  old 

.   .        ,  ...         .     .  .  ,  ,         .  ,  ,  covenant 

of  the  true,  spiritual  realities,  it  is  evident  that  it  could  not,  fulfilled  in 
by  its  repeated  ministrations,  complete  the  salvation  of(i|."i]^8) 
those  who  participated  in  its  rites.  The  perpetual  repeti- 
tion of  its  sacrifices  is  itself  a  proof  that  it  could  not  effectu- 
ally and  permanently  accomplish  its  object.  The  fact  that 
every  year,  on  the  great  day  of  atonement,  confession  of 
sin  was  made,  shows  that  the  people  had  not  attained  the 
full  consciousness  of  pardon.  And,  no  wonder,  for,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  animal  sacrifices  could  not  purify  the 
moral  life.  Accordingly,  we  find  the  Scripture  describing 
Christ's  work  as  consisting,  not  in  burnt  sacrifices,  but  in 
the  sacrifice  of  perfect  obedience  to  God.  The  old  method 
of  approach  to  God  he  has  set  aside,  and  has  opened 
the  new  path  of  obedience  by  which  we  are  fully  forgiven 
and  sanctified.  How  great  the  difference !  In  the  Old 
Testament  we  see  the  priests  constantly  repeating  these 
ineffectual  sacrifices,  whereas  under  the  new  dispensation 
we  see  Christ  offering  one  final  sacrifice  for  sin  and  then 
taking  his  heavenly  throne  and  carrying  to  completion  his 
209 


Hebrews  lo  :  14 


The  Messages 


Exhortation 
to  confi- 
dence and 
steadfast- 
ness in  the 
Christian 
life 
(10 :  19-25) 


saving  work.  For  by  one  effectual  sacrifice  he  has  pro- 
vided a  perfect  salvation  for  those  who  believe  on  him. 
How  plainly  are  the  greatness  and  sufficiency  of  this  sav- 
ing work  pictured  in  the  prophet's  proclamation  of  forgive- 
ness and  moral  renewal  as  the  chief  characteristics  of  the 
gospel !  Now  where  these  results  are  attained,  there  can 
be  no  further  occasion  for  expiatory  offerings. 

6.   The  Perils  of  Apostasy  (10  :  19-39) 

Since,  now,  the  immediate  presence  of  God,  the  mest 
holy  place  of  the  heavenly  sanctuary,  has  been  made  ac- 
cessible to  us  by  the  rending  of  the  veil  of  the  Saviour's 
flesh,  and  since  he  now  officiates  as  priest  on  our  behalf  in 
the  heavenly  temple,  let  us  come  to  God  in  all  sincerity  and 
confidence,  since  we  have  been  purified  from  sin  by  the 
perfect  sacrifice  and  consecrated  to  God  in  baptism.  And 
let  us  steadfastly  adhere  to  the  assurance  of  salvation 
given  us  in  Christ,  for  this  promise  of  God  will  not  fail  of 
its  fulfilment.  And  let  us  seek  to  promote  in  one  another 
the  spirit  of  brotherhood  and  of  benevolence ;  especially 
let  us  not  cease  our  regular  attendance  upon  the  meetings 
of  the  Christian  assembly,  as  some  are  doing,  but  encour- 
age one  another  in  the  Christian  life,  the  more  so  as  the 
day  of  the  Lord's  coming  draws  near. 

For  if  we  deliberately  abandon  the  true  way  of  salvation 
which  Christ  has  opened  to  us  through  his  death,  we  shall 
find  no  other  means  of  deliverance ;  after  such  an  apostasy 
210 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  lo  :  36 

there  will  remain  for  us  only  the  terrible  prospect  of  the  if  the  read- 
divine  judgment,  when  God's  fiery  indignation  will  con-  chris^they 
sume  his  foes.     The  law  of  Moses  summarily  punished  ^thef  Sav° 
apostasy — when  attested  by  two  or  three  witnesses — byjo""^, 
the  penalty  of  death ;  how  much  more  terrible  will  be  the 
penalty  which  he  shall  deserve  who  has  treated  the  Sav- 
iour with  contempt,  despised,  as  if  it  were  impure,  his 
holy  sacrifice,  and  scorned  the  work  of  the  divine  Spirit  in 
the  Church.     The  penalty  of  such  disobedience  cannot  be 
escaped,  for  in  the  Scripture  Jehovah  solemnly  declares 
that  he  will  punish  his  foes  and  vindicate  his  people,  and 
it  is  a  terrible  thing  to  expose  one's  self  to  his  punitive 
judgment. 

Remember  how  in  the  first  days  of  your  Christian  life  Believers 
you  patiently  suffered  persecution  for  your  faith,  both  by  |^ady  to  suf- 
enduring  abuses  and  assaults,  which  exposed  you  to  pub-  f/'for^rdr 
lie  contempt,  and  through  your  efforts  for  the  alleviation  faith 
of  the  sufferings  of  your  fellow-believers.     Such  was  your 
devotion  to  Christ  at  that  time  that  you  actively  sympa- 
thized with  those  who  were  imprisoned  for  Christ's  sake 
and  cheerfully  submitted  to  the  plundering  of  your  prop- 
erty, being  sustained  by  the  thought  that  you  had  a  pre- 
cious and  eternal  inheritance  in  heaven.    Do  not  now  for-  The  reward 
sake   this  zealous  and  courageous    Christian    confession  endurance 
which  carries  with  it  the  assurance  of  eternal  blessedness.  ^^°  '•  35-39) 
For  steadfast  endurance  is  necessary,  in  order  that  when 
you  have  proved  yourselves  faithful  to  the  divine  require- 


Hebrews  lo  :  37  The  Messages 

ments,  you  may  enter  into  the  possession  of  the  promised 
blessing.  For  soon  the  Lord  will  come,  and  then  the 
steadfast  devotion  of  the  faithful  believer  shall  prove  his 
passport  to  eternal  life,  but  the  apostate  God  will  reject. 
I  am  confident,  however,  that  you  and  I,  my  readers,  do  not 
belong  to  that  class  who  renounce  the  gospel  and  so  forfeit 
their  salvation,  but  are  among  those  who  are  persevering  in 
loyalty  to  Christ  and  will  inherit  the  promised  blessedness. 

7.    The  Triumphs  of  Faith  (11) 

Examples         Now  this  trust  in  God's  promises  of  which  I  speak,  is  a 

TeS^ament    firm  Confidence  that  what  is  hoped  for  will  come  to  pass, 

faUhlnlpk^  ^^^  assured  conviction  of  the  existence  of  invisible  realities. 

hope  for  the  It  vvas  just  this  iuncr  persuasion  for  which  the  Old  Testa- 
future  •*  ^  . 
<ii :  1.3)      ment  samts  were  distmguished.     It  is  only  by  a  conviction 

concerning  the  unseen  that  we  are  able  to  believe  in  the 
creation  of  the  world  by  the  power  of  God,  whereby  the 
visible  order  came  into  existence  without  being  made  from 
Abel  pre-existing  materials.     It  was   because  Abel  had  faith 

^""*  that  God  estimated  his  offering  as   more  worthy  than 

Cain's,  and,  looking  with  favor  upon  his  sacrifice,  pro- 
nounced him    accepted;    and  by  his  faithful    example, 
though  dead,  Abel  still  summons  us  to  imitate  him.     It 
Enoch         was  by  reason  of  his  faith  that  Enoch  was  taken  up  alive 
(11:5.  6)      J.Q  heaven.     The  Scripture  declares  that  his  life  was  well- 
pleasing  to  God ;  he  must  therefore  have  had  faith,  for 
without  faith  one  cannot  be  well-pleasing  to  God,  for  he 
212 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  ii  :  13 

who  approaches  God  in  worship  must  believe  that  he  ex- 
ists, and  that  he  will  bless  and  save  those  who  seek  his 
favor.     It  was  through  the  exercise  of  faith  that  Noah,  Noah 
being  divinely  instructed  concerning  future  events  and  in      *  '^' 
devout  trust  in  God's  word,  made  ready  an  ark  for  the 
salvation  of  his  family,  by  which  trust  in  God  he  set  the 
wickedness  of  the  world  in  clearer  light  by  contrast  with 
his  own  conduct,  and  acquired  the  title  of  one  who  was 
accepted  with  God  in  accordance  with  his  faith.     Moved 
by  faith,  Abraham,  when  God  summoned  him,  went  forth  Abraham 
to  seek  a  home  in  an  unknown  land.     With  persistent  ^"  '  ^'^°^ 
confidence  in  God  he  remained  a  stranger  in  the  land 
which   had  been   promised   him   as   a  possession,  being 
without  a  permanent  home  in  the   country,  along  with  his 
family,  to  whom  the  divine  promise  also  related  ;  for  his 
hope  was  set,  not  on  an  earthly  dwelling-place,  but  on  the 
heavenly  city  of   God.      In   consequence   of    her  faith,  Sarah 
Sarah,  who  had  been  unbelieving,  was  divinely  empowered  ^"  "  "'  "' 
in  her  old  age  to  bear  a  son,  because  she  believed  that 
God  would  keep  his  promise,  in  fulfilment  of  which  there 
has  been  born  to  Abraham,  notwithstanding  his  advanced 
age,  a  posterity  as  countless  as  the  stars  in  the  sky  or  the 
sands  on  the  sea-shore.     It  was  in  keeping  with  their  con-  The  family 
fidence  in  God  that  Abraham  and  his  family,  although  °ii ;  i^Jie™ 
they  died  without  having  themselves  received  the  blessings 
which  had  been  promised  them,  yet  beheld  and  rejoiced 
in  them  as  certain  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  distant  future,  and 
213 


Hebrews  ii  :  14  The  Messages 

regarded  this  world  as  but  their  temporary  dwelling-place. 
For  those  who  take  this  view  of  the  present  life  do  cer- 
tainly show  thereby  that  their  expectations  are  fixed  upon 
a  permanent  home  beyond.     If  now  in  calling  themselves 
but    temporary   sojourners,   they  had    referred   to   their 
absence  from  the  former  home  which  they  had  left,  they 
might  easily  have  returned  to  it.     But  since  they  did  not 
refer  to  that  earthly  country,  it  is  evident  that  they  were 
longing  for  a  heavenly  home,  on  which  account  God  owns 
them  as  his  children,  for  he  has  prepared  them  a  home  in 
heaven  in  which  all  their  longings  will  be  satisfied. 
Examples         It  was  through  the  power  of  faith  that  Abraham,  when 
faithKe^^  he  was  put  to  the  test,  offered  to  God  his  son  Isaac  as  a 
Sendurance  sacrifice  ;  ycs,  it  was  because  he  implicitly  trusted  God's 
and  achieve- word  that  he  was  willing  to  sacrifice   his  only  son,  the 
ham  '  child  of  promise,  through  whom  God  had  assured  him  that 

(11 :  17-19)    j^.g  j^u^erous  posterity  should  be  founded.      He  reasoned 
that  if  it  were  necessary  to  the  fulfilment  of  this  promise, 
God  would  even  raise  Isaac  from  the  dead,  and,  indeed, 
in  rescuing  him  from  imminent  death,  God  did,  as  it  were, 
Isaac  raise  him  up  from  the  dead.     Through  faith,  Isaac,  in  his 

(11 :  20)       dying  benediction  upon  his  sons,  declared  with  confidence 
what  should  be  their  future  lot  and  relations.     By  faith, 
Jacob  Jacob,  in  his  last  hours,  pronounced   his  blessing  upon 

(II :  21)       Joseph's  two  sons,  forecasting  their  destinies,  and,  sup- 
porting himself  in  his  weakness  upon  his  staff,  reverently 
thanked  God  for  his  goodness.     It  was  faith  which  moved 
214 


of  the  Apostle  $  Hebrews  1 1 


3d 


Joseph,  when   his  death   drew  near,  to  speak  of   God's  Joseph 
promise  to  deliver  Israel  from  Egypt,  and  to  give  direc-  ^"  *  ^^^ 
tion  concerning  the  removal  of  his  body  to  Canaan.     It 
was  the  belief  of  Moses'  parents  that  God  had  some  great  Moses'  par- 
purpose  to  serve  in  the  life  of  the  beautiful  child,  which  ^"'^^'^  '^^^ 
led  them  to  conceal  him  for  safety  during  three  months, 
and  this  they  did  in  direct  opposition  to  Pharaoh's  com- 
mand.    It  was  due  to  his  faith  in  God  that  Moses,  when  Moses 
he  grew  up,  disdained  the  honor  and  power  which  might      "  ^'''^ 
have  been  his  as  the  reputed  son  of  a  royal  princess,  pre- 
ferring to  share  the  hardships  of  God's  people  rather  than 
to   enjoy  the   temporary  sinful   pleasures   of   Pharaoh's 
court;    for  he  judged  that  to  suffer  for  riphteousness' 
sake,  as  Christ  did,  was  a  far  greater  good  than  to  possess 
all  the  wealth  of  Egypt,  because  his  eye  was  fixed  upon 
the  promised  heavenly  blessedness.     It  was  faith  which 
led  him  to  flee  from  Egypt,  confident  that  God  would 
save  him  from  the  king's  wrath ;  for  the  clear  conviction 
of  God's  presence   made  him   strong  and   courageous. 
Through  trust  in  God's  promise  he  observed  the  passover 
and  sprinkled  the  door-posts  with  blood  in  order  that  the 
destroying  angel  should  not  smite  the  children  of  God's 
people.     It  was  in  consequence  of  their  faith  that  the  The  Israel- 
Israelites  were  enabled  to  pass  through  the  Red  Sea  as  (1^:29,  30) 
on  dry  land,  while  the  Egyptians,  in  the  effort  to  pursue 
them,  were  overwhelmed.    It  was  due  to  faith  on  the  part 
of  Israel  that  God  overturned  the  walls  of  Jericho  after 
215 


Hebrews  6  :  31 


The  Messages 


Rahab 
(II :  31) 


The  vic- 
tories of 
faith 


the  people  had  marched  around  them  daily  for  seven  days. 
It  was  Rahab's  belief  in  God  which  saved  her,  through  the 
friendly  reception  of  the  spies,  from  the  fate  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  Jericho,  who  refused  to  open  their  city  to  the 
Israelites.  But  why  continue  the  enumeration  of  exam- 
ples ?  It  would  take  too  long  to  describe  all  the  heroes 
of  faith,  such  as  the  judges  and  the  prophets,  and  to  re- 
<ii :  32-40)  count  their  great  achievements  in  war  and  in  government, 
or  to  describe  the  way  in  which  God  has  blessed  them 
and  delivered  them  from  the  greatest  personal  dangers, 
and  given  them  victory  over  their  foes  in  battle.  To  be- 
lieving women  their  dead  have  been  restored  alive  ;  others 
suffered  as  martyrs,  refusing  to  obtain  their  liberty  by  re- 
nouncing their  faith,  because  their  hope  was  set  on  the 
coming  heavenly  blessedness.  By  every  form  of  trial  and 
suffering  was  the  faith  of  others  tested;  they  endured 
hunger,  nakedness,  and  homelessness,  being  treated  as 
unworthy  to  live  in  this  evil  world,  which  was  really  un- 
worthy of  their  presence  in  it.  And  all  these,  although 
attested  in  Scripture  as  examples  of  faith,  failed  of  realiz- 
ing the  promise  of  the  Messianic  kingdom,  since  God  had 
determined  that  we  of  the  later  time  should  also  share, 
with  them,  in  the  glorious  consummation. 

8.  Concluding  Instructions  attd  Exhortations  (12,  13) 

Since  then  so  great  a  company  of  the  heroes  of  faith 
are  observing  us,  to  see  whether  we  prove  steadfast,  let  us 
216 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  12:9 

throw  off  every  hindrance  to  our  success  in  the  Christian  The  inspira- 
race  and  discard  the  evil  which  so  effectually  prevents  our  byluch  he- 
progress,  and  run  with  perseverance  our  appointed  course,  sus*^tirned  by 
with  our  eyes  fixed  upon  Jesus,  our  perfect  example  of  'he  seif- 
faithful  devotion  and  confidence  in  God,  who,  in  antici-  Jesus 
pation  of  the  heavenly  reward  of  his  fidelity,  suffered  the      " 
shameful  death  on  the  cross  without  murmuring,  and  has 
now  entered  upon  his  promised  glory  and  dominion.     Fix 
your  attention  upon  him  who  experienced  such  opposition 
from  wicked  men  that  it  culminated  in  his  death,  and  let 
his  example  inspire  you  to  steadfastness  and  courage.  The 
persecutions  to  which  you  have  been  subjected  by  your 
opponents  have  not  yet  resulted  in  martyrdom.   Your  suf- 
ferings are  but  salutary  chastisements  at  the  hand  of  God. 
Do  you  not  recall  the  comforting  word  of  Scripture  which 
speaks  of  the  discipline  which,  for  their  good,  God  admin- 
isters to  his  beloved  children  }    Your  present  afflictions 
are  meant  to  serve  as  a  divine  chastening  ;  God  is  treat- 
ing you  as  sons,  for  where  is  there  a  son  whom  his  father 
does  not  chasten  ? 

If  God  did  not  discipline  you  by  trial  and  suffering — as  Suffering  in 
he  did  the  faithful  in  Old  Testament  times— he  would  be  viceJwhoie- 
treating  your  welfare  with  indifference,  as  if  you  were  not  ^9^^^?  ^\^T^ 
his  true  children.    We  accorded  respect  and  honor  to  our  (12 :  8-13) 
earthly  fathers  when  they  chastised  us  ;  shall  we  not  much 
more  reverence  our  spiritual  Father  and  humbly  accept  his 
discipline  }    For  how  great  is  the  difference !    Our  earthly 
217 


Hebrews  12  :  lo  The  Messages 

fathers  trained  us  for  a  brief  time  according  to  their  im- 
perfect human  judgment,  but  God  is  disciplining  us  for 
our  true  good,  in  order  that  we  may  be  fitted  for  perfect 
fellowship  with  him.  Now  chastisement  of  every  kind, 
while  it  continues,  is  not  easy,  but  hard  to  bear;  but, 
when  it  has  been  endured,  it  produces  the  blessed  results 
of  purity  and  peace  in  those  who  have  been  subjected  to 
it.  Such  being  the  purpose  and  effect  of  your  sufferings, 
away  with  all  slackness  and  faintheartedness ;  keep 
straight,  or  in  the  path  of  the  Christian  life,  so  as  to  en- 
courage those  of  your  number  who  are  wavering  to  turn 
to  the  right  way  and  to  move  steadily  forward  toward 
the  goal. 
The  Chris-  Seek  after  peace  with  all  men  and  moral  purity,  without 
avoid"sensu-  which  no  One  can  share  the  blessedness  of  the  Messianic 
worldiiitss  kingdom.  Beware  of  suffering  any  of  your  number  to 
and  live  a  forfeit  the  Christian  salvation  by  a  sinful  life ;  see  to  it 
(1°^  14-17)  that  no  wicked  man  be  allowed  to  poison  the  life  of  your 
church.  Be  not  led  astray  by  any  sensualist  or  worldly- 
minded  man,  such  as  Esau  was,  who  bartered  away  the 
privileges  of  his  birthright  for  a  meal  of  meat.  You  are 
familiar  with  the  story,  how,  afterward,  when  he  wished  to 
receive  his  inherited  possession,  it  was  refused  him,  for 
though  with  bitter  tears  of  regret  he  sought  the  forfeited 
blessing,  he  did  not  succeed  in  causing  his  father  Isaac  to 
change  his  mind  and  restore  it  to  him. 

Contrast,  now,  the  two  dispensations !    When  you  be- 
218 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  12  :  29 

came  Christians  you  did  not  receive  a  revelation  whose  The  law  in- 
symbols   are   startling,  sensible  manifestations   of   God.and^ear^ 
which  strike  terror  to  the  heart,  like  the  dread  phenomena  con^dence 
which  accompanied  the  giving  of  the  law  on  Sinai,  but  you  ^"^^.i^ 
came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  spiritual  and  eternal  reali- 
ties, the  heavenly  city  of  God,  the  numberless  company  of 
his  people  on  earth  and  in  heaven  ;  you  came  into  the  im- 
mediate presence  of  God,  the  final  judge,  and  under  the 
cleansing  power  of  Christ's  blood,  which  speaks  of  the 
divine   forgiveness   for  sin — unlike   that  of   Abel,  which 
calls  for  vengeance.     Beware  of  disobedience  to  this  full-  Neglect  of 
est  and  final  revelation  of  God,  for  if  they  were  severely  morf  pe^rti- 
punished  who  disregarded  the  outward,  visible  manifesta-  obeiienc^^^' 

tion  of  God,  how  much  more  severe  will  be  the  penalty  of  5°  the  law 

(12 :  25-29) 
those  who  disregard  the  heavenly  message  which  he  has 

now  sent  us  through  his  Son ;  for  that  earlier  voice  by 
which  he  spoke  on  Sinai  was,  indeed,  terrible,  causing  the 
earth  to  tremble  ;  but  Scripture  speaks  of  a  yet  more  ter- 
rific shaking  which  shall  test  the  permanence  of  all  things. 
And  what  does  this  reference  to  a  final  testing  mean  if 
not  that  everything  temporary  is  to  be  destroyed,  in  order 
that  the  world  of  abiding,  heavenly  realities  may  appear. 
Now,  since  we  Christians  have  been  made  sharers  in  this 
heavenly  and  permanent  order,  let  us  be  grateful  to  God 
and  serve  him  with  reverent  awe ;  for  our  God  is  severe 
as  well  as  gracious. 

Continue  to  cultivate  brotherly  love.    Do  not  neglect  to 
219 


Hebrews  13:1  The  Messages 

Instructions  be  hospitablc  to  strangers,  for  we  remember  how  some,  in 
Se  an?duty  ancient  times,  were  surprised  to  find  that  they  were  hon- 
(13 :  1-8)       Qj.g(^  5y  angel  visitants.     Minister  to  your  fellow-behevers 
who  are  in  prison,  and  sympathize  with  the  persecuted, 
remembering  that  you  are  Hable  to  incur  the  same  treat- 
•    ment.     The  marriage-bond  must  be  held  sacred  and  in- 
violable, for  at  the  judgment  God  will  punish  those  who 
desecrate  it.     Avoid  covetousness  and  cultivate  content- 
ment, for  God  has  assured  his  people  of  his  presence  and 
help,  so  that  we  can  joyfully  exclaim  with  the  Psalmist : 
"  I  will  securely  trust  in  God,  my  keeper ;  man  cannot 
harm  me."    Think  of  your  deceased  teachers  and  leaders, 
and,   contemplating   their    martyr -death,   emulate   their 
Christian  fidelity.     Christ,  who  sustained  and  strength- 
ened them,  will  equally  aid  us,  and  all  his  followers,  now 
Salvation      and  always.     Be  not  seduced  by  false  teaching  from  your 
ChriSt  and    loyalty  to  Christ,  but  stand  firm  in  the  grace  of  God  be- 
"he  iite°"(ff'  stowed  in  the  gospel,  for  we  have  no  more  to  do  with  the 
Judaism       profitless  sacrificial  feasts  of  the  old  covenant.    We  Chris- 
'^  ■  ^  ^'^      tians  partake  of  the  saving  benefits  of  Christ's  death  on 
the  cross,  from  which  the  Jewish  priests  and  people  are 
excluded.     Now  we  know  that  in  the  Jewish  system  the 
bodies  of  the  animals  which  were  offered  in  sacrifice  on 
the  great  day  of  atonement   were   burned   outside   the 
camp ;  neither  the  priests,  nor  any  others  could  partake 
of  their  flesh.     In  like  manner  the  antitypical  sacrifice  of 
Christ  was  offered  outside  the  gate  of  the  holy  city,  and 

22P 


of  the  Apostles  Hebrews  13  :  20 

so  was  freed  from  all  association  with  Judaism.  None 
may  obtain  part  in  the  benefit  of  his  sacrifice  who  still  ad- 
heres to  Judaism  ;  let  us  therefore  cease  to  seek  salvation 
within  its  bounds  and  betake  ourselves  to  Christ,  undis- 
turbed by  the  disgrace  which,  in  the  eyes  of  the  unbeliev- 
ing Jews,  we  shall  thereby  incur.  For  we  Christians  do 
not  associate  our  worship  and  salvation  with  the  earthly 
city  of  Jerusalem,  but  with  the  heavenly  and  abiding  city 
of  God.  Through  Christ,  then,  and  not  through  Jewish 
rites,  let  us  offer  a  pure  spiritual  sacrifice  of  praise  and 
confession.  And  let  us  not  neglect  to  do  deeds  of  kind-  Exhortation 
ness  and  generosity,  for  they  are  an  offering  acceptable  fnd  obeT-^ 
to  God.  Render  all  due  respect  and  obedience  to  your  p<^f 
church  officers,  for  they  are  eagerly  seeking  your  salvation 
in  a  sense  of  their  responsibility  to  God.  By  such  sub- 
mission you  will  enable  them,  in  exercising  their  care  over 
you,  to  rejoice  in  your  docility,  instead  of  grieving  over 
your  obstinacy,  for  surely  conduct  which  would  grieve 
your  superiors  could  bring  you  no  advantage. 

Let  me  be  remembered  in  your  prayers,  for  I  trust  that  a  request 
in  my  teaching  I  have  pursued  a  course  in  all  respects  e^I'^pJayers" 
sincere  and  honorable.     And  I  beg  this  interest  in  your  ^'3=  ^8,  19) 
prayers  the  more  earnestly,  in  the  hope  that,  in  answer  to 
them,  I  may  the  sooner  be  enabled  to  return  to  you. 

And  may  God,  the  author  of  peace,  who  raised  up  from  His  prayer 
the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  who  has  become  the  Saviour  of  (°3  \  20^21) 
his  people  by  virtue  of  his  death,  which  seals  the  new  cov- 


Hebrews  13  :  21-25 

enant,  perfectly  equip  you  to  serve  him  by  richly  blessing 

you  with  his  grace  in  Christ,  to  whom  be  everlasting 

praise.     Amen. 

A  final  ex-        I  beg  you,  brethren,  to  heed  my  appeal  to  you  to  stand 

f5thfi°ness  fast   in   your  allegiance  to  Christ;    for  considering  the 

(13 :  22, 23)  gfeatness   of    the   subject,  I    have  presented   it  all   too 

briefly.      Let  me   inform   you   that  our  fellow-believer, 

Timothy,  has   been  released  from  prison ;   if  he  comes 

here  before  I  leave,  I  will  bring  him  with  me  on  my  visit 

to  you. 

Concluding       Give  my  greetings  to  all  your  church  officers  and  to  all 

KnedSn  your  fellow-believers.     The  Italian  Christians  here  send 

(13 :  24, 25)  j.j^^j^  salutations.    God's  blessing  be  with  you  all.    Amen. 


223 


THE  FIRST   EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


THE   FIRST  EPISTLE   OF  JOHN 


THE    RELATION    OF    THIS    EPISTLE    TO    THE   FOURTH 
GOSPEL 

The  resemblances  in  language  and  thought  between  this 
epistle  and  the  Gospel  of  John  clearly  show  that  the  two 
books  emanated  from  the  same  writer.  A  large  number  of 
characteristic  ideas  and  expressions  are  common  to  both, 
such  as  :  "  God  is  light ;  "  "  being  born  of  God  ;  "  "  to  do 
the  truth  , "  "  to  be  of  God  ;  "  "  to  be  of  the  truth,"  or,  "  of 
the  world ;  "  "  to  walk  in  the  light,"  or,  "  in  darkness." 
The  epistle  has  the  same  mystical  tone  and  elevated  spir- 
ituality which  characterize  the  Fourth  Gospel.  Along 
with  that  Gospel  it  constitutes  the  chief  source  for  the 
study  of  an  extremely  interesting  type  of  Christian  thought 
and  teaching  in  the  early  Church.  The  leading  peculiar- 
ities of  this  Johannine  type  of  doctrine  are :  (i)  The  view- 
ing of  all  things  from  the  stand-point  of  eternity.  Reve- 
lation and  redemption  are  expressions  of  God's  eternal 
nature,  and  Christ  is  the  heavenly  light  which  has  ever 
been  shining  down  into  the  hearts  of  men.  (2)  A  com- 
225 


I  John  The  Messages 

prehensive  view  of  all  Christian  virtues  and  duties.  They 
are  all  summed  up  in  love,  which  is  the  principle  of  moral 
perfection,  the  very  nature  of  God  himself.  (3)  A  deep 
mystical  vein.  The  Christian  life  is  fellowship  with  God. 
Christ  is  "  the  Life,"  and  to  know  him  is  salvation.  (4) 
A  very  simple  but  profound  philosophy  of  Christian  prog- 
ress. Obedience  is  the  way  of  spiritual  knowledge.  To 
do  Christ's  commands,  to  walk  in  the  truth — such  are  the 
apostle's  watchwords. 


II 


GENERAL    CHARACTER    AND    DESTINATION    OF    THE 
EPISTLE 

Like  the  Epistle  of  James,  the  book  under  consideration 
has  the  appearance  of  a  treatise  quite  as  much  as  that  of 
a  letter.  This  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was 
written  for  a  wide  and  somewhat  indefinite  circle  of  read- 
ers. It  was  probably  designed  for  the  Christians  of  pro- 
consular Asia,  of  which  Ephesus  was  the  capital.  There 
was  a  widely  attested  tradition  current  in  the  second  cen- 
tury to  the  effect  that  the  apostle  John  spent  the  closing 
years  of  his  life  in  Ephesus  and  was  the  leading  spirit  in 
a  school  of  Christian  teaching  which  had  its  centre  there. 
This  tradition  is  illustrated  by  the  statement  of  Irenaeus  : 
•*  The  church  of  Ephesus  was  founded  by  Paul  and  had 
226 


of  the  Apostles  i  John 

John  remaining  permanently  among  them  until  the  time 
of  Trajan." 

Assuming  the  correctness  of  this  tradition,  the  churches 
for  which  the  epistle  was  designed  would  be  mainly  Gen- 
tile-Christian. With  this  would  agree  the  facts  that  we 
find  no  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament  in  the  epistle 
and  that  the  heresies  against  which  the  readers  are  warned 
are  such  as  would  arise  on  the  soil  of  heathen  philosophy. 
No  mention  is  made  of  persecution,  as  in  James  and  First 
Peter.  Perhaps  the  persecution  of  the  Christians  by  Do- 
mitian  (81-96)  was  past,  and  that  of  Trajan  (98-117)  had 
not  yet  begun.  On  this  supposition  the  epistle  would 
have  been  written  about  96-98,  and  this  is  about  the  time 
to  which  the  epistle  is  usually  assigned.  All  the  indications 
of  tradition  point  to  Ephesus  as  the  place  of  its  composi- 
tion. 


Ill 

THE    PURPOSE    OF    THE    EPISTLE 

The  Gospel  of  John  is  declared  to  have  been  written 
"  that  ye  [the  readers]  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God  ;  and  that  believing  ye  may  have  life  in  his 
name  "  (John  20  :  31).  The  aim  of  the  First  Epistle  may 
best  be  seen  in  such  passages  as  i  :  3,  4 :  "  That  which 
we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you  also,  that  ye 
227 


I  John  The  Messages 

also  may  have  fellowship  with  us  ;  yea,  and  our  fellowship 
is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ :  and 
these  things  we  write,  that  our  joy  may  be  fulfilled,"  and 
5  :  13:  "These  things  have  I  written  unto  you,  that  ye 
may  know  that  ye  have  eternal  life,  even  unto  you  that 
believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God."  Thus  it  appears 
that  the  primary  aim  of  the  Gospel  is  to  induce  faith  in 
Christ ;  that  of  the  Epistle  to  foster  it  in  those  who  have 
believed. 

But  the  Epistle  has  also  a  more  special  object.  It  is  to 
refute  the  error  which  is  spoken  of  as  "  antichrist " — the 
denial  that  Jesus  Christ  has  come  in  the  flesh  (2  •  22). 
This  denial  arose  from  certain  views  concerning  the  cor- 
ruptness of  matter,  and  the  remoteness  of  the  divine  from 
the  human,  which  were  current  in  heathen  speculation. 
These  notions,  which  would  prove  so  destructive  of  belief 
in  the  incarnation,  had  either  invaded,  or  were  in  danger 
of  invading,  the  churches,  and  the  apostle  points  out  the 
perils  to  which  the  believers  were  exposed  in  consequence 
of  them  (2  :  18  ff.  ;  4  :  I  ff. ;  5  :  6,  16,  17).  But  despite 
this  warning  against  false  teaching,  the  tone  of  the  epistle 
is  not  chiefly  polemic  or  denunciatory,  but  gentle,  con- 
structive, and  confirmatory  of  faith.  Love  is  its  key-note, 
and  its  great  underlying  idea  is  that  of  communion  with 
God  and  with  Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  who  has  perfectly  re« 
vealed  God  in  terms  of  human  life  and  action. 


22a 


of  the  Apostles  i  John  i  :  7 

IV 

THE    FIRST   MESSAGE    OF    JOHN 

1.  The  Messenger  of  Life  (i  :  1-4) 

I  write  of  that  divine  Messenger  of  life  whom  we  heard  The  apos- 
and  saw  and  touched  in  his  earthly  manifestation  ;  for  he,  so^nlfknowl- 
the  Bearer  of  salvation,  came  forth  from  God   and   ap-  jefus^^th* 
peared  in  human  form,  so  that  in  speaking  of  him  we  are  p^."^^ 
but  testifying  to  what  we  have  learned  from  our  associa- 
tion with  him  when  on  earth.     We  are  testifying  out  of  His  desire  to 
our  personal  experience  in  order  that  we  may  fully  share  to  others 
with  you  the  knowledge  of  our  common  Saviour,  for  jt^^'-^'*^ 
was  won   in   communion  with   God  and   with  his  Son, 
Jesus  Christ.     We  are  writing  to  you  concerning  God's 
revelation  in  Christ,  that  by  your  full  participation  with  us 
in  that  knowledge  we  may  share  in  larger  measure  the 
believer's  happiness  in  making  Christ  known. 

2.  The  Message  of  Life  (i  :  5-10) 

Now  the   substance  of  the   heavenly  message  which  The  possi- 
Christ  has  brought  to  us  is  that  God  is  the  pure  Source  of  lowship  with 
all  good.     Everything  that  is  evil  is  contrary  to  his  nature.  puHffca*tioi 
If,  therefore,  we  commit  sin,  we  forfeit  our  fellowship  with  ^V^^  ^'^ 

^  through 

him,  but  if  we  live  and   act  purely,  we  shall  have  the  Christ 
friendship  of  God  and  happy  relations  with  one  another,  ^ " 
229 


I  John  I  : 8 


The  Messages 


This  purifi- 
cation a  ne- 
cessity for 
everyone 
Ci  :  8-10) 


and  we  shall  be  more  and  more  purified  by  the  redeeming 
work  of  Christ  from  the  evil  which  still  clings  to  us. 
None  of  us  can  honestly  deny  that  he  does  still  commit 
sins ;  but  we  know  that  if  we  acknowledge  our  sins  before 
God  he  will  be  true  to  his  promises  and  to  his  own  gra- 
cious nature,  and  will  freely  pardon  us  and  purify  our 
hearts  from  evil.  But  if,  on  the  contrary,  we  try  to  cloak 
and  deny  our  sinfulness,  we  thereby  show  our  perverse- 
ness  and  doubt  of  God's  word. 


The  true 
test  of  a 
Christian 
profession 
(2  :  i-6> 


3.    The  Gospel  Rule  of  Life  (2:1-11) 

I  am  writing  you,  my  dear  disciples,  in  the  hope  of 
showing  you  more  plainly  the  way  of  holiness  ;  but  when 
any  one  of  you  does  fall  into  sin,  let  him  remember  that 
we  have  one  to  plead  our  cause  before  God,  even  our  holy 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  died  to  save  us  from  sin  ; 
and  not  to  save  us  only,  but  to  save  all  men.  Now  the 
test  of  discipleship  to  him  is  the  doing  of  what  he  com- 
mands ;  if,  therefore,  anyone  claims  fellowship  with  him 
and  yet  disobeys  his  word,  that  is  proof  that  his  pro- 
fession is  false  ;  but  those  who  obey  his  precepts,  thereby 
show  that  they  are  sincerely  consecrated  to  God.  This, 
then,  is  the  test  of  fellowship  with  Christ.  He  who  lays 
claim  to  such  fellowship  must  live  the  life  of  Christ-like 
purity  and  service. 

This  rule  of  life  which  I  am  setting  before  you  is  no 
novelty,  it  is  but  the  requirement  of  the  gospel  which  was 
230 


of  the  Apostles  i  John  2  :  17 

taught  you  at  your  conversion.     And,  yet,  the  Christian  The  law 
law  is  ever  taking  on  new  meaning  and  shining  in  new  once^new 
light.     It  is  the  law  which  reigned  in  the  life  of  Jesus  and  ^2"? 7,% 
which   must  rule   in  our  lives ;   for  we  Christians   have 
emerged  from  the  life  of  sin  and  error  into  the  knowledge 
of  God's  truth  and  love.    To  his  law  of  purity  and  love 
we  must  be  obedient  if  we  are  to  be  Christ's  disciples. 
Hatred  toward  one's  fellows  is  the  practical  denial  of  that  The  spirit  of 
law.     This,  I  say,  is  the  test;  brotherly  love  is  the  proof  de^^ce of ^ 
that  we  are  living  in  obedience  to  God's  requirements.  dUclpieship 
Hatred,  on  the  contrary,  is  the  proof  that  we  do  not  truly  <2 '-  9-") 
know  God,  and  that  we  are  living  in  perverse  disregard  of 
his  holy  will. 

4.  An  Appeal  to   Young  and  Old  to  Seek  the  Higher 
Divine  Life  (2  :  12-17) 

•  I  am  writing  to  you,  my  spiritual  children,  in  order  that  Obedience 
you  who  have  tasted  God's  forgiving  love  in  Christ,  may  one  supreme 
know  the  way  of  salvation  more  perfectly.     I  am  writing  ^}^\^^^,^  x 
to  you  who  are  older  to  deepen  in  you  the  knowledge  of 
your  divine  Saviour.     To  you  younger  believers  I  am  writ- 
ing to  encourage  you  in  your  manly  conflict  against  evil. 
To  young  and  old  alike  I  have  written  in  order  to  confirm 
you  in  Christian  knowledge  and  virtue.     And  this  is  the 
substance  of  my  instruction  :  Set  not  your  hearts  on  this 
wicked,  perishable  world  ;  for  all  its  beauty,  pomp,  and 
pleasure  are  as  fleeting  as  a  fading  flower.    Build,  there- 
231 


I  John  2  :  i8 


The  Messages 


Desertions 
from  the 
brotherhood 
not  unex- 
pected 
(2  :  i8) 


Their  apos- 
tasy danger- 
ous and 
destructive 
(2  :  19-23) 


The  true 
Christian 
must  be  ab- 
solutely 
loyal  to 
Christ 
(2  :  24-29) 


fore,  your  hopes  on  God,  for  those  who  commit  them- 
selves to  him  are  secure  amid  all  life's  changes. 

5.  A  Warning  against  the  Denial  of  Christ 
(2  :  18-29) 

You  have  already  been  taught,  my  children,  that  the 
day  of  the  Lord's  coming  shall  be  preceded  by  the  out- 
break of  hostility  to  his  truth  and  kingdom ;  those  who 
embody  such  opposition  have  already  appeared,  and  from 
this  we  may  know  that  the  day  of  his  advent  is  near. 
These  foes  of  Christ  left  our  Christian  fellowship  because 
they  were  not  in  real  sympathy  with  us  ;  had  they  been  so, 
they  would  have  remained  in  the  church,  but  their  de- 
parture only  showed  that  they  were  not  true  Christians. 
Now  you  have  received  enlightenment  from  God,  and  you 
know  full  well  what  the  Christian  life  is  and  requires.  I 
am  not  writing  to  tell  you  this,  for  you  know  perfectly  the 
difference  between  truth  and  falsehood.  What  is  so  false 
as  the  denial  of  the  real  Messiahship  of  Jesus  ?  This  is 
the  very  essence  of  anti-Christian  unbelief. 

The  denial  of  Christ  is  equally  the  denial  of  God,  who 
has  attested  Christ  as  his  Son.  The  former  denial  carries 
with  it  the  latter.  Yield  no  place  to  this  anti-Christian 
spirit.  Hold  fast  the  truth  which  was  taught  you  from 
the  first.  Persevere  in  your  confession  of  both  the  Son 
and  the  Father.  By  clinging  to  Christ,  as  well  as  by  be- 
lieving in  God,  you  shall  realize  the  promise  of  eternal 
232 


of  the  Apostles  i  John  3  :  6 

life.  My  warnings  are  intended  to  put  you  on  your  guard 
against  tliese  deniers  of  Christ.  I  am  confident  that  the 
divine  presence  and  teaching  will  secure  you  against  being 
shaken  from  your  steadfast  adherence  to  him.  Let  us  be 
true  to  him,  that,  when  he  comes  in  majesty,  we  may 
have  no  occasion,  by  reason  of  our  unfaithfulness,  to 
tremble  before  him  in  fear  and  dread.  You  know  that 
he  is  worthy  of  all  confidence;  be  assured,  then,  that  in 
living  the  life  of  fellowship  with  him,  you  may  claim  the 
full  rights  of  children  of  God. 

6.  The  Nature  and  Goal  of  the  Christ-like  Life  (3 : 1-12) 

How  wonderful  a  love  God  has  shown  us  in  calling  us  The  mean- 
into  the  life  of  fellowship  and  likeness  to  himself.     This  qSllfents 
is  why  we  find  no  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  wicked  world,  °o  ood^'^ 
for  the  world  is  estranged  from  God.     Already  we  are  (3  =  1-6) 
members  of  the  household  of  God  ;  and  yet  we  are  far 
frorM   the   full   realization  of  our  Christian  calling ;  but 
when   Christ  shall  return,  then   shall   we   see   him   with 
unclouded  vision  and  be  transformed  into  his  likeness. 
Now  everyone  whose  life  is  inspired  by  the  purpose  of 
becoming  like  Christ,  strives  after  the  perfection  of  his 
great  example.    The  sinful  life  means  defiance  to  the  holy 
will  of  God,  and  it  was  the  object  of  Christ's  coming  to 
destroy  the  power  of  sin.     He,  therefore,  who  claims  fel- 
lowship with  the  sinless  Saviour,  must  forsake  the  sinful 
life ;  for  such  a  life  is  contrary  to  the  very  nature  and  re- 


I  John  3  :  7  The  Messages 

Deeds  of  quirements  of  discipleship  to  Christ.  Let  there  be  no 
ckstveevU  mistake  on  this  point ;  he  is  acceptable  to  God  who  lives 
?he  sfn?ef  is  ^  ^oly,  Christ-lilce  life  ;  the  habitual  sinner,  on  the  con- 
not  a  child    trary,  shows  by  his  deeds  his  likeness  to  Satan,  whose  nat- 

of  God  ^  •'  ,  ^,     . 

(3  :  7-12)  ure  it  is  to  sin.  It  is  the  very  purpose  of  Christ  s  coming 
into  the  world  to  destroy  Satan's  dominion.  The  true 
child  of  God  does  not  live  the  sinful  life,  because  the  germ 
of  a  new  character  has  been  implanted  in  him  ;  indeed, 
he  cannot  live  such  a  life,  since  it  would  be  the  contradic^ 
tion  of  his  sonship  to  God,  Here,  then,  is  the  test  by 
which  we  may  distinguish  those  who  are  morally  akin  to 
God  and  those  who  are  kindred  to  Satan  :  Those  who  do 
not  live  the  life  of  purity  and  love  are  not  God's  children. 
The  duty  of  love  is  the  burden  of  the  gospel  which  has 
been  taught  you  since  you  became  Christians.  Its  oppo- 
site is  seen  in  the  murderous  hate  of  Cain,  whose  deed 
sprang  from  his  wicked  hostility  to  the  goodness  which 
he  saw  in  his  brother. 

7.  Love  the  Crowning  Characteristic  of  this  Life 
(3  :  13-24) 
The  con-  Such  being  the  nature   of   the  Christian  life,  it  is  no 

tween  love    wonder  that  you  find  yourselves  in  disfavor  with  the  world, 
fs'fijis)     ^^^  ^^^y  proof  that  you  have  broken  with  the  wicked 
world,  the  realm  of  moral  death,  is  that  you  love  one  an- 
other ;  for  love  is  the  essence  of  goodness.     On  the  con- 
trary, hate  is  the  principle  which  spreads  death  through 
234 


of  the  Apostles  i  John  3  :  24 

the  world,  and  thus  we  meet  again  in  love,  and  hate  the 
contrasted,  antagonistic  forces  of  life  and  death.     How, 
now,  shall  we  learn  the  meaning  of  love  ?     Look  upon  The  real 
Christ  and  see  him  giving  his  life  for  his  fellows ;  there  \^^^)^f  ° 
we  see  love's  supreme  exemplification  ;  his  life  of  sacrifice  ^q^^^  ^^ 
and  service  is  the  pattern  for  us.     On  the  contrary,  the  (3  =  16-18) 
loveless  life  would  be  seen  in   one  who   possessed   the 
means  and  the  opportunity  of  helping  and  serving  those 
in  need  and  yet  refused  to  do  so.     Let  our  love  be  no 
mere  profession,  but  an  active  principle  leading  to  good 
deeds.     If  our  love  is  thus  sincere  and  helpful,  we  may 
know  that  we  belong  to  God,  and  when  our  consciences 
condemn  us  for  our  faults,  we  may  still  be  confident  of 
God's  favor,  because  he  who  takes  account  of  our  right 
desire  and  intention,  is  more  compassionate  toward  his 
true  children  than  they  are  toward  themselves.     But  most  The  assur- 

,  .f  .  .  .  ance  which 

happy  are  we  if  we  give  our  consciences  no  occasion  to  springs  out 
accuse  us.  Then  we  may  rejoice  in  all  the  fulness  of°^!°j^g%^j 
God's  grace,  because  we  are  living  in  accord  with  his  holy 
will.  And  what  is  it  to  do  what  he  requires  }  What  but 
this  :  to  live  the  life  of  Christ-like  love  ?  To  do  that  is  to 
be  in  blessed  fellowship  with  God,  and  the  consciousness 
of  this  fellowship  he  gives  through  the  presence  of  his 
Spirit  in  our  hearts. 


235 


I  John  4  :  i  The  Messages 


8.   The  Anti-Christian  Spirit  (4  :  1-6) 
The  test  of       Dq  not  credulouslv  follow  even^one  who  offers  to  teach 

true  and  ,  ,  ,,      ,  i  i  •    i  i 

false  teach-  you,  but  apply  to  all  the  test  by  which  you  may  know 
(4I 1-3)        whether  they  are  really  teachers  of  divine  truth  or  not 
(for  the  world  is  full  of  pretenders  to  a  divine  mission). 
Now,  this  is  the  test  by  which  you  may  know  the  true 
from  the  false :  Those  who  acknowledge  the  incarnation 
of  Jesus  are  true ;  those  who  deny  this  are  false.     This 
spirit  of  denial  is  the  essence  of  that  hostility  to  Christ 
which  you  have  been  told  would  manifest  itself,  and  which 
True  chii-     has,  indeed,  already  appeared.     You  are  God's  true  chil- 
heed°in?y '^  dren  and  have  resisted  the  influence  of  these  false  guides  ; 
^hr^th^^^  for  the  power  that  works  in  you  is  mightier  than  that 
(4 :  4-6)        which  prevails  in  the  wicked  world.     The  false  teachers 
embody  the  spirit  of  this  evil  world  and  therefore  find  in 
it  the  sphere  of  their  work  and  influence.     But  we  belong 
to  another  order ;  ours  is  the  message  of  God's  truth,  and 
this  message  must  find  its  acceptance  among  those  who 
are  morally  kindred  to  God  ;  the  wicked  world  will  not  re- 
ceive our  teaching.     Here,  then,  is  the  test  by  which  we 
may  distinguish  the  true  teaching  from  the  false. 

9.   The  Supremacy  of  Love  (4  :  7-21) 

Love  the  Brotherly  love  is  the  motto  of  our  religion,  for  love  is  a 

reilSon  °^     divine  principle.     Those  whose  lives  are  ruled  by  love  are 
(4 :  7-13)      God's  true  children.     Those,  on  the  contrary,  who  reject 

236 


of  the  Apostles  i  John  4  :  19 

this  principle  cannot  be  living  in  fellowship  with  God, 
since  love  is  the  very  essence  of  God's  moral   nature. 
Now  the  supreme  revelation  of  God's  love  is  seen  in  his 
sending  his  only  Son  into  the  world  for  our  salvation. 
The  greatness  of  this  love  appears  in  the  fact  that  God 
loved  us,  although  we  did  not  love  him,  and  sent  his  Son 
to  save  us  from  our  sins.     In  this  free  and  undeserved 
love  of  God  what  a  motive  should  we  find  to  the  love  of 
one  another !     Although  God  is  invisible  to  our  outward 
eyes,  if  love  is  the  motive  of  our  life  he  is  spiritually  pres- 
ent in  us  and  reproduces  his  own  nature  in  us.     It  is  by 
this  test  of  growing  likeness  to  God  that  we  know  our- 
selves as  living  in  vital  fellowship  with  him.     Now  this  The  coming 
supreme  proof  of  God's  love,  the  sending  of  his  Son  to  su^emJ^x-^ 
save  us,  we   have  known   in   our  own  experience.     To  ^""p^^  °^ 
acknowledge  and  accept  this  gift  of  God  is  to  enter  into  (4 :  14-16) 
the  life  of  communion  with  him.     This  gift  we  believers 
have  received  and  appropriated.     It  is  the  self-revelation 
of  him  whose  nature  is  love;  therefore  to  live  the  life  of 
love  is  to  live  in  blessed  and  perfect  union  with  God. 
When  we  thus  share  in  the  God-like  life  of  love  we  have  Love  casts 
no  more  fear  of  the  divine  judgment  because  we  know  f^!  jy!!^) 
that  we  are  living  our  life  in  harmony  with  God's  nature 
and  requirements.     I  say  that  love  is  the  best  cure  for 
fear.     When  one  loves  he  need  not  dread  the  penalties  of 
God's  law,  for  to  do  so  would  show  that  he  had  not  really 
entered  into  the  God-like  life  of  love.    Our  love  to  God  is 
the  answer  of  our  hearts  to  the  free  and  undeserved  love 
237 


I  John  4  :  20  The  Messages 

Love  to  God  which  God  has  shown  to  us.  Love  to  God  also  carries 
man  are  in-  with  it  lovc  to  man.  The  pretence  to  love  God  when  one 
X^^S^^t)  hates  his  fellow-men  is  false ;  for  who  could  rise  to  the 
height  of  loving  the  invisible  God  who  cannot  even  love 
his  fellow-men  among  whom  he  daily  lives .''  You  see, 
therefore,  that  the  gospel  requirement  that  we  should  love 
God  includes  also  the  duty  of  love  to  our  fellow-men. 

10.    Jesus  Christ  the   Way  to  God  (5  :  1-12) 

Faith  in  We  bccome  children  of  God  through  the  acceptance  of 

slv^our^is  Christ  as  Messiah  and  Saviour,  and  love  to  God  the  Father 
the  Chrfs-"^  carries  with  it  love  to  all  his  children.  If  we  truly  love 
tian's  victory  Qod  and  obcy  his  will  we  may  be  assured  that  we  shall 

over  the  •'  ^ 

world  also  love  our  brethren.     The  proof  of  love  to  God  is  the 

^  '  ^'  doing  of  his  requirements,  and  they  are  not  irksome  when 

love  rules  the  heart.     Those  who  are  in  spiritual  union 
with  God  resist  the  power  of  the  evil  world,  and  the  in- 
spiring motive  in  their  successful  conflict  with  sin  is  their 
faith.     Whom  do  we  see  winning  the  victory  over  sin  if 
not  those  who  are  trusting  in  Jesus  as  their  Saviour  }    He 
The  three-    was,  and  remained  throughout  his  life  on  earth,  the  truly 
mony^which  Anoiutcd  of  God ;  not  alone  at  his  baptism,  but  also  in 
bo°rne^Shis  ^^^  through  his  death,  did  God's  Spirit  attest  his  divine 
Son  mission.     This  divine  attestation  of  the  Sonship  of  Christ 

is  that  which  proves  him  to  be  the  Messiah  and  Saviour, 
and  this  witness  is  threefold :  the  bestowment  of  the 
Spirit  upon  him,  the  heavenly  voice  at  his  baptism,  and 

238 


of  the  Apostles  i  John  5:17 

the  divine  favor  and  presence  in  his  death ;  and  all  these 
conspire  to  prove  the  same  thing  :  the  reality  and  divine- 
ness  of  his  saving  mission.     Now,  if  we  are  ready  to  ac-  This  testi- 
cept  the  testimony  of  men,  how  much  more  ready  should  ^rpass^d 
we  be  to  receive  the  testimony  by  which  God  himself  has  j"  yaiue 
proclaimed  Jesus  Christ  to  be  his  Son  and  our  Saviour. 
He  who  accepts  Christ  rests  upon  this  strong  divine  as- 
surance, while  he  who  refuses  him  rejects  the  plain  word 
of  God  because  he  rejects  the  testimony  by  which  God 
has  attested  Jesus  as  his  Son.     Now  this  is  the  substance 
of  the  divine  testimony  :  God  has  brought  to  men  eternal 
life  in  his  Son ;  to  receive  the  Son  is  to  receive  the  life 
which  he  brings ;  to  reject  the  Son  is  to  reject  the  life  of 
which  he  is  the  Bearer. 

II.   The  Christian's  Jirm  Assurance  (5  :  13-21) 

I  am  writing  to  you,  my  Christian  brethren,  to  confirm  The  Chris- 
you  in  the  assurance  of  your  salvation  through  Christ.  so^n"abie^c'on 
We  may  have  all  confidence  that  God  hears  our  prayers  fidence  in 

prayer 

and  that  he  will  give  us  all  things  which  are  in  accord  with  (5  =  13-17) 
his  gracious  purpose  for  our  salvation.  If,  for  example, 
any  one  of  you  sees  a  brother  halting  and  stumbling  in  the 
Christian  course,  he  may  confidently  ask  God's  help  in  his 
effort  to  save  the  erring  one  from  his  faults  ;  but  there  is 
a  contemptuous  rejection  of  Christ  concerning  which  I 
dare  not  express  myself  so  hopefully.  All  failure  to  do 
God's  will  is,  of  course,  sinful,  but  the  prospect  of  recov- 

239 


I  John  5  :  18-21 

ery  is  much  greater  in  the  case  of  some  sins  than  in  that 
of  others. 
The  believ-       Now  in  the  nature  of  the  case  the  true  child  of  God 
rity  fn'christ  cannot  live  a  sinful  life,  for  his  Saviour  keeps  him  secure 
(5  :  i8-2i)     £j.Qj^  |.|^g  assaults  of  Satan.     We  Christians  are  conscious 
of  the  friendship  of  God  and  of  the  enmity  of  the  wicked 
world.     We  also  know  that  to  us  God  has  revealed  him- 
self in  Christ  and  that  through  him  we  have  a  saving 
knowledge  of  the  Father.     To  us  the  blessed  realities  of 
God's   life   and   love   have  been  disclosed   in  Christ;  to 
receive  them  is  salvation.     My  dear  disciples,  be  prompt 
to  reject  all  counterfeits  which  are  offered  you  in  their 
stead. 


240 


THE  SECOND   EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


THE  SECOND   EPISTLE   OF   JOHN 


THE   AUTHORSHIP   OF    THE   LETTER 

After  a  partial  and  somewhat  doubtful  recognition  this 
epistle  was  definitely  adopted  into  the  canon  by  the  coun- 
cils of  Laodicea  and  Carthage  in  the  fourth  century.  Ob- 
jection has  been  made  to  its  apostolic  authorship  on  the 
ground  of  the  severe  and  intolerant  language  of  verses  lo 
and  II,  and  because  the  author  calls  himself  the  elder 
or  presbyter  {v.  i).  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  difficult  to 
imagine  any  motive  for  the  forging  of  this  brief  personal 
letter,  and  it  is  unnatural  to  suppose  that  a  forger  would 
have  called  himself  the  presbyter  and  not  the  apostle. 
Moreover,  the  epistle  shows  not  a  few  points  of  resem- 
blance to  First  John  in  style  and  contents.  Some  have 
referred  the  letter  to  the  somewhat  dim  and  doubtful  per- 
sonality called  "  John  the  presbyter  "  in  early  church  tra- 
dition, but  this  view  is  not  especially  favored  by  verse  i, 
since  it  appears  that  in  the  early  church  the  apostles  were 

243 


2  John  The  Messages 

sometimes  called  elders  (i  Pet.  5  fi)  and  there  is  no  rea- 
son why  the  apostle  John  may  not  have  designated  him- 
self by  that  title. 


II 

THE   PERSON   ADDRESSED 

To  whom  is  this  epistle  addressed  ?  The  words  of  the 
address  {v.  i),  rendered  in  our  English  versions:  "unto 
the  elect  lady  and  her  children,"  ^  are  capable  of  two  gen- 
eral meanings,  and  the  second  of  these  may  be  expressed 
in  any  one  of  three  different  translations.  The  first  in- 
terpretation is  that  some  church  (personified)  is  addressed ; 
compare  i  Peter  5  :  13, where  "she  that  is  in  Babylon, 
elect  together  with  you,"  is  supposed  by  many  to  refer  to 
the  church  in  Babylon  (or  Rome).  The  other  interpre- 
tation applies  the  phrase  to  an  individual.  But  who  is 
the  person?  Three  answers  are  possible,  (i)  "  To  the 
lady  Electa ;  "  (2)  "  To  the  elect  Curia ;  "  (3)  "  To  the 
elect,  that  is,  Christian,  lady  "  (unnamed).  Against  the 
view  that  a  church  is  addressed  is  the  analogy  of  Third 
John,  V.  I,  where  a  person  is  named,  and  the  fact  that  the 
epistle  proceeds  as  if  written  to  a  person.  The  order  of 
the  words  is  unfavorable  to  the  supposition  that  a  woman 

*  The  Greek  is  :  «KAe»tTp  Kvpi^  (cai  toIs  jiKvoi.^  avr^$. 
244 


of  the  Apostles  2  John 

named  either  Electa  or  Curia  is  addressed.  The  most 
natural  meaning  of  the  word  is  that  given  in  our  English 
versions — "  to  the  Christian  lady  " — but  they  give  us  no 
intimation  as  to  who  the  "  elect  lady  "  was. 


Ill 

THE    PURPOSE    OF    THE    LETTER 

The  primary  object  of  the  letter  is  indicated  in  z/.  4 : 
"  I  rejoice  greatly  that  I  have  found  certain  of  thy  chil- 
dren walking  in  truth,  even  as  we  received  commandment 
from  the  Father."  The  apostle  seems  to  have  met  with 
some  of  the  children  of  the  lady  addressed,  perhaps  at 
Ephesus,  and  he  wrote  this  letter  to  the  mother  and  the 
children  to  express  his  joy  at  their  Christian  devotion.  But 
there  was  a  secondary  object  in  writing,  namely,  to  warn 
the  family  against  the  anti- Christian  denial  that  Jesus  is 
come  in  the  fiesh  {vv.  7-1 1).  We  note  in  this  brief  letter 
the  same  interplay  of  tender  instruction  and  encourage- 
ment in  the  life  of  love  and  of  impassioned  warning 
against  the  denial  of  Christ  which  characterize  the  First 
Epistle. 

The  writer  promises,  if  possible,  to  visit  the  family  ad- 
dressed (z/.  12),  and  closes  by  sending  the  greetings  of  the 
"elect  lady's"  sister  (z/.  13). 

245 


2  John  I  ;  I  The  Messages 

IV 

THE   SECOND  MESSAGE   OF   JOHN 

I.  Salutation  (1-3) 

The  writer's     I  who  am  an  elder  in  the  church  write  to  you,  Christian 
and^good      lady,  and  to  you,  her  beloved  children ;  and  with  me  all  our 
wshes         fellow-believers  unite  in  sending  you  this  message  for  your 
encouragement  and  comfort  in  the  knowledge  and  expe- 
rience of  the  everlasting  gospel.     May  the  rich  blessing 
of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  abide  with  us. 

2.   The  Trtie  and  the  False   Way  (4-11) 

The  law  of  The  obedient  and  faithful  Christian  life  of  some  of  your 
commended  children  has  given  me  great  joy.  Now  I  wish  to  commend 
^**'^  to  you  all  that  same  rule  of  life  in  which  we  have  been  in- 

structed since  our  conversion,  that  is,  the  law  of  mutual 
love.     This  love  consists  in  obeying  God's  requirements, 
and   this  maxim  has  been  the  central  truth  in  all  our 
A  warning    Christian  teaching.     The  need  of  emphasizing  it  is  all  the 
dlSiafof  *    greater  now  that  many  false  teachers  have  appeared  who 
SS  ^^^y  ^^  incarnation  and  Messiahship  of  Jesus.     This  de- 

nial is  the  essence  of  hostility  to  Christ  and  his  truth. 
Beware  of  being  deprived  of  your  Christian  confidence 
and  hope  by  the  pernicious  work  of  these  men.  For 
those  who  renounce  Jesus  Christ  and  his  gospel,  thereby 
246 


of  the  Apostles  2  John  i  :  13 

refuse  the  true  and  saving  knowledge  of  God ;  but  those 
who  cleave  to  that  gospel,  possess  the  knowledge  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  through  whom  he  has  revealed 
himself.  Abstain  from  all  relations  with  those  who  are 
seeking  to  win  you  from  Christ  to  a  doctrine  which  is 
subversive  of  his  truth,  for  to  have  social  fellowship  with 
such  men  is  to  encourage  them  in  their  evil  deeds. 

3.  Concluding  Greeting  (12,  13) 

I  have  much  which  I  should  like  to  say  to  you,  but  I  The  writer 
will  write  no  more,  for  erelong  I  hope  to  visit  you  and  ^^i\^^ 
to  confirm  you  further  in  the  peace  and  hope  of  the  gos-  (12^^13) 
pel.    The  children  of  your  Christian  sister  send  their 
greetings. 


247 


THE  THIRD   EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


THE  THIRD  EPISTLE   OF  JOHN 


THE   OCCASION    AND   PURPOSE    OF    THE    LETTER 

This  epistle  is  closely  like  Second  John  in  style  and 
ideas.  Both  are  written  by  "  the  elder  "  to  the  persons 
whom  he  "loves  in  truth  "  {v.  i).  The  conclusions  of 
the  two  letters  are  especially  similar. 

The  person,  Gaius,  addressed  in  this  epistle,  is  otherwise 
unknown  to  us-  He  seems  to  have  been  a  layman  of 
position  and  influence  whom  John  commends  for  his  hos- 
pitality and  charity. 

The  occasion  and  design  of  the  letter  appear  to  have 
been  as  follows  :  The  apostle  had  sent  out  certain  breth- 
ren, evangelists,  who  had  visited  the  church  to  which 
Gaius  belonged.  They  had  brought  with  them  a  letter  of 
commendation  from  the  apostle.  In  the  church  in  ques- 
tion there  was  a  man  named  Diotrephes  {v.  9),  who 
proudly  rejected  the  letter  and  the  authority  of  its  author, 
and  sought  to  prevent  the  reception  of  the  messengers. 
But  Gaius  welcomed  them,  furnished  them  hospitality,  and 
set  them  forward  on  their  way.     The  evangelists,  on  re- 

251 


3  John  The  Messages 

turning  (to  Ephesus),  reported  the  conduct  of  Diotrephes 
and  of  Gaius.  This  report  was  the  occasion  of  the  letter. 
Toward  its  close  {v.  1 2)  Demetrius,  perhaps  the  bearer  of 
the  epistle,  is  commended. 

The  epistle  thus  unites  commendation  of  Gaius  and 
Demetrius  with  censure  of  Diotrephes.  Like  the  other 
epistles  of  John,  it  combines  gentleness  and  severity.  It 
has  a  more  definite  and  specific  occasion  than  Second 
John,  and  thus  exhibits  a  somewhat  more  vivid  and  life- 
like character. 


II 


THE    INTEREST    AND    VALUE    OF    THE    MINOR 
EPISTLES    OF    JOHN 

Although  these  two  minor  epistles  have  no  special 
doctrinal  importance,  it  is  a  matter  of  no  small  interest 
that  we  have  preserved  to  us  two  private  letters  of  the 
apostle  John.  Like  the  Epistle  to  Philemon,  these  letters 
give  us  a  glimpse  of  the  writer  in  his  personal  relations, 
as  well  as  furnish  us  a  vivid  picture  of  the  conditions  and 
difficulties  of  Christian  work  in  the  apostolic  age.  Says 
Dr.  Gloag :  "  We  have  in  these  two  epistles  of  John  a 
glimpse  of  the  state  of  the  apostolic  churches,  the  mixed 
character  of  the  churches,  the  prevalence  of  heretical 
252 


of  the  Apostles  3  John  i  :  8 

teaching,  the  institution  of  travelling  evangelists,  and  the 
occasional  resistance  even  to  apostolic  authority." 


Ill 

THE    THIRD   MESSAGE   OF    JOHN 

I.  Salutatioti  (1-4) 

I,  an  elder  among  the  believers,  send  my  greetings  to  The  writer 
my  dearly  beloved  Gaius.     May  God,  who  has  so  richly  J^mp^rS^'"^ 
prospered  you  in  your  spiritual  life,  grant  you  a  full  meas-  ^rog^eS'^"*^ 
ure  of  all  temporal  blessing.     It  was  a  great  joy  for  me  (1-4) 
to  hear  from  some  of  our  fellow-believers  of  your  fidelity 
in  Christian  life  and  duty.    I  can  have  no  greater  pleasure 
than  that  which  comes  from  knowing  that  my  disciples 
are  loyal  to  Christ. 

2.  Counsels  and   Warnings  (5-12) 

I  cordially  commend  your  kind  and  generous  treatment  Commenda- 
of  the  Christian  brethren  who  have  visited  you.     They  Sus's 
speak  gratefully  to  their  fellow-believers  of  your  benev-  cg^rtS^mes-^ 
olence.     It  is  truly  a  good  work  to  help  them  forward  on  sengers 
their  Christian  mission,  for  they  have  given  themselves  to 
their  work  with  true  Christian  devotion,  forgetful  of  all  per- 
sonal reward.     Such  servants  of  Christ  should  receive  our 
encouragement  that  we  may  thus  have  a  part  in  their  work. 

253 


3  John  I  :  9-14 

The  con-  I  have  previously  given  the  church  some  counsel,  but 

Sd^a'good^  Diotrephes,  in  his  self-seeking  ambition,  set  my  advice  at 
example  naught.  When  I  visit  you  I  will  bring  up  for  considera- 
tion his  wicked  and  contemptuous  conduct,  for  not  only 
did  he  refuse  my  counsel,  but  he  opposed  the  work  of  the 
messengers  and  sought  to  discredit  them  before  the 
brotherhood.  My  brother,  shun  such  an  evil  example  and 
continue  your  labor  of  love.  To  help  and  to  serve  is 
God-like ;  but  to  harm  one's  brethren  is  proof  that  one 
knows  not  God.  Demetrius  is  an  example  of  well-doing 
which  is  acknowledged  by  all.  I  need  not  assure  you  of 
his  true  devotion. 

3.   Concluding  Greeting  (13,  14) 

Closing  Since  I  have  so  much  that  I  wish  to  say  to  you  I  will 

^°°^  not  now  write  more  but  will  wait  till  I  see  you,  as  I  hope 

wishes  •'  * 

(13, 14)  to  do  shortly,  when  we  can  speak  together  freely.  God's 
blessing  be  with  you.  The  friends  here  send  greetings. 
My  salutation  to  each  of  the  brethren. 


^54 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 


BOOKS   OF   REFERENCE 

One  of  the  most  instructive  popular  treatises  on  the  portions 
of  the  New  Testament  which  are  included  in  this  volume  is 
Dean  Farrar's  "  Early  Days  of  Christianity  "  (various  editions). 
The  student  may  also  consult  with  profit  such  works  as  Dr. 
Hort's  "T'Jdaistic  Christianity,"  1894  (Macmillan),  De  Pres- 
sense's  "Apostolic  Age,"  1890  (Hodder  &  Stoughton),  Bart- 
let's  •' Apostolic  Age,"  1900  (Scribner  and  T.  &  T.  Clark), 
Purves*  "  Christianity  in  the  Apostolic  Age,"  1900  (Scribner), 
and  Lechler's  very  thorough  work  (2  vols.),  entitled,  "The 
Apostolic  and  Post-apostolic  Age,"  1886  (T.  &  T.  Clark). 

Among  the  more  popular  commentaries  some  of  the  most 
scholarly  and  useful  are:  "  The  Popular  Commentary,"  edited 
by  Dr.  Schaff  (Scribner),  "The  Expositor's  Bible,"  (Arm- 
strong), and  *'  The  Cambridge  Bible  for  Schools"  (Cambridge 
University  Press).  In  "The  Expositor's  Bible"  I  would 
especially  commend  Dr.  Plummer's  commentaries  on  the  Pas- 
toral Epistles  and  the  Epistles  of  James  and  Jude,  Dr.  Lumby's 
on  the  Epistles  of  Peter,  and  Dr.  Edwards's  on  Hebrews. 
In  "The  Cambridge  Bible"  some  of  the  best  are  those  of 
Dean  Plumptre  on  James,  Peter,  and  Jude  ;  of  Dean  Farrar 
on   Hebrews,  and  of  Dr.  Plummer  on  the  Epistles  of  John. 

257 


Appendix 

The  two  small  volumes  by  Professor  Lindsay  on  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  in  the  series  called  "  Hand-books  for  Bible 
Classes  "  (T.  &  T.  Clark),  will  be  found  very  useful,  as  will 
the  excellent  exposition  of  Hebrews  by  Professor  A.  B.  David- 
son in  the  same  series. 

The  doctrinal  significance  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  has 
been  discussed  in  treatises  by  Professor  A.  B.  Bruce  and  by 
the  Rev.  George  Milligan,  1899  (T.  &  T.  Clark),  and  that  of 
the  Epistles  of  John  by  Professor  George  B.  Stevens  in  "  The 
Johannine  Theology,"  1896  (Scribner).  The  theology  both  of 
Hebrews  and  of  the  General  Epistles  is  fully  set  forth  in  the 
"Theologies  of  the  New  Testament"  by  Weiss,  1882-83  (T. 
&  T.  Clark),  Beyschlag,  last  edition,  1899  (T.  &  T.  Clark), 
and  Stevens,  1899  (Scribner  and  T.  &  T.  Clark). 

Those  who  wish  to  read  more  elaborate  discussions  of  ques- 
tions of  introduction  than  are  furnished  in  this  volume  will 
find  them  in  Farrar's  "Messages  of  the  Books,"  1885  (E.  P. 
Button  &  Co. )f  or  in  Gloag's  "Introduction  to  the  Catholic 
Epistles,"  1887  (T.  &  T.  Clark),  and  in  the  "  Introductions  to 
the  New  Testament"  by  Weiss,  1887-88  (Funk  &  Wagnalls), 
Salmon,  last  edition,  1891  (Murray),  and  Bacon,  1900  (Mac- 
millan). 


258 


Zbc  Ibistoiical  Series 

FOR  BIBLE  STUDENTS 

EDITED    BY 

Professor  Charles    F.   Kent,   Ph.D.,  of  Brown  Univer- 

sity,  and  Professor  Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D., 

of  Yale  University. 


IN  response  to  a  widespread  demand  for  non-technical 
yet  scholarly  and  reliable  guides  to  the  study  of  the 
history,  literature,  and  teaching  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  and  of  the  contemporary  history  and  litera- 
ture, this  series  aims  to  present  in  concise  and  attractive 
form  the  results  of  investigation  and  exploration  in  these 
broad  fields.  Based  upon  thoroughly  critical  scholar- 
ship, it  will  emphasize  assured  and  positive  rather  than 
transitional  positions.  The  series  as  a  whole  is  intended 
to  present  a  complete  and  connected  picture  of  the  social, 
political,  and  religious  life  of  the  men  and  peoples  who 
figure  most  prominently  in  the  biblical  records. 

Each  volume  will  be  complete  in  itself,  treating  com- 
prehensively a  given  subject  or  period.  It  will  also  refer 
freely  to  the  biblical  and  monumental  sources,  and  to  the 
standard  authorities.  Convenience  of  size,  clearness  of 
presentation,  and  helpfulness  to  the  student,  will  make 
the  series  particularly  well  adapted  for  (i)  practical  text- 
books for  college,  seminary,  and  university  classes  ;  (2) 
hand-books  for  the  use  of  Bible  classes,  clubs,  and 
guilds  ;  (3)  guides  for  individual  study  ;  and  (4)  books 
for  general  reference. 


CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 
Publishers        ------        New  York 


XTbe  historical  Series 

FOR    BIBLE   STUDENTS 


HISTORY  OF  THE  HEBREW  PEOPLE 
L    Ube  Tanite^  ■IRfng^om.    Fifth  edition. 
II.    Ube  2)(rl6e^  ^king^om.    Fifth  edition. 

Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and 
History,  Brown  University. 

HISTORY   OF  THE  JEWISH   PEOPLE 

III.  Ube  aSab^lonfan,  ipersfan,  att6  ©reefi  lperfo^s. 

Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and 
History,  Brown  University. 

IV.  Ube  /Uactabean  an6  IRoman  pcriob  (including  New  Testament 

Times). 
James  S.  Riggs,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Criticism,  Auburn 
Theological  Seminary. 

CONTEMPORARY  OLD   TESTAMENT   HISTORY 

V.   IbCstors  Of  tbe  Egyptians. 

James  H.  Breasted,  Ph.D.,  Assistant  Professor  of  Semitic  Lan- 
guages and  Egyptology,  the  University  of  Chicago. 
VI.    Ibistorg  of  tbe  SSabglonians  an6  Bsssrians. 

George  S.  Goodspeed,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Ancient  History,  the 
University  of  Chicago. 

NEW  TESTAMENT  HISTORIES 

VII.    Ube  life  Of  3e6U0. 

Rush  Rhees,  Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation,  New- 
ton Theological  Seminary. 

VIII.    Ube  BpostoHc  Bge. 

George  T.  Purves,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  Professor  of  New  Testament 
Literature  and  Exegesis,  Princeton  Theological  Seminary. 

OUTLINES  FOR  THE  STUDY  OF  BIBLICAL  HISTORY  AND 
LITERATURE 
IX.    jfrom  Earliefit  Ufmeg  to  tbe  Captivttg. 
X.    fvom  tbe  Erile  to  200  B.  S). 

Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature,  Yale 
University. 


Date  Due 

0  10  ■38 

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V^CULTY 

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